Mohali:
Large stretches of land acquired by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) decades ago but left vacant have become a major challenge to the city’s cleanliness and aesthetic appeal. These plots have turned into dumping grounds, with garbage, overgrown bushes and unhygienic conditions. In several places, such vacant lands are also allegedly being used for anti-social and unlawful activities.
Councillor of Ward No. 13, Kuldeep Kaur Dhanoa, has questioned GMADA’s functioning and demanded accountability for the prolonged neglect of its acquired land. She pointed out that an ordinary plot allotee is given a three-year deadline to start using an allotted plot and may face penalties for failing to comply. However, there appears to be no comparable time-bound accountability for GMADA when it leaves its own acquired land unused for decades.
She said GMADA’s corporate-oriented policies have failed to adequately address the problems faced by residents of the planned city. Several facilities promised at the time of developing Mohali, including green belts, the Need-Based Policy, Punjabi Bhawan, an open-air theatre and adequate parking facilities, have not received the attention they deserve.
Dhanoa said the accumulation of garbage at several locations in the city is also linked to GMADA’s land management policies and the lack of timely action. She stressed that acquiring land cannot be considered the end of the authority’s responsibility. Its proper utilisation, maintenance and development in the public interest are equally important.
The councillor demanded that a maximum five-year deadline be fixed for the planned utilisation and development of every piece of land acquired by GMADA. If development is not possible for any reason, the authority should ensure regular cleaning, proper boundary walls and adequate security arrangements to prevent illegal activities and the dumping of garbage.
She further said that government agencies must also take responsibility for maintaining cleanliness and protecting the environment instead of placing the entire burden on city residents.
Emphasising the need for a change in approach, Dhanoa said Mohali’s progress would not depend merely on acquiring more land but on the proper and timely utilisation of land already acquired. She urged the Punjab Government and GMADA to review their policies and ensure greater accountability, better maintenance and development of vacant properties in the larger interest of Mohali’s residents.
