Patiala, 14 November (Paramjit Singh Parwana):- The long struggle of residents of village Dudhar, situated on Dakala Road, and the surrounding villages has finally borne fruit, marking a victory for their movement. Following the cancellation of the resolution concerning the 20 acres of panchayat land leased by the Dudhar village panchayat, the land will now remain with the village panchayat.
During a meeting between village Sarpanch Jassi, Vikram Dakala, who played an important role in the Anti-Dump Committee, and other representatives with Municipal Corporation Commissioner Pooja Syal Grewal, both sides agreed to terminate the lease. With this decision, the issue of the proposed garbage dump in village Dudhar has come to an end.
Vikram Dakala, a leader of the Anti-Garbage Dump Committee, said that the lease of the 20 acres of panchayat land given by the Dudhar village panchayat to the Municipal Corporation has been cancelled, and the land has returned to the panchayat. He said that the struggle was carried out above party politics, with the Chairman of the Mandi Board, along with other leaders from the government side, also playing an important role.
Leaders of all political parties supported the Anti-Dump Committee in this struggle, which helped make the campaign successful. He said that the decision to establish a garbage dump in the area had caused considerable concern among the residents of several villages, but the latest decision has brought a wave of happiness among the people.
Vikram Dakala said that the residents of the area are grateful to all political parties, social organisations, farmers’ organisations and leaders who supported the struggle. He also expressed special gratitude to the government and Municipal Corporation Commissioner Pooja Syal Grewal for taking a decision in the public interest.
It is worth mentioning that around 10 years ago, the Dudhar village panchayat had leased 20 acres of land to the Patiala Municipal Corporation for setting up a garbage dump. The government had prepared a project worth approximately Rs 100 crore under which waste from several districts was to be collected and processed at the site.
Residents had continuously opposed the project. In view of this opposition, the Anti-Dump Committee was formed, which led the movement effectively and ultimately achieved success.
