Ludhiana Municipal Corporation acquires key property, demolition next

After years of delay, the last hurdle to providing direct access to martyr Sukhdev Thapar’s ancestral house in Ludhiana was cleared on Sunday, when the Municipal Corporation (MC) took possession of a 44.50 sq yd property blocking the route.

A joint team of MC officials, district administration and police reached Naughara Mohalla on Sunday morning to take possession. The process went off peacefully as the property owner had vacated the building a day earlier after being informed of the action.

MC officials pasted a notice declaring the property under municipal ownership and locked the premises to establish control. The building would now be demolished to allow construction of a direct road from Chaura Bazaar to Naughara Mohalla.

Ashok Thapar of the Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Memorial Trust said five properties were identified for acquisition to create direct access. “This last 44.50 sq yd was the main hurdle as the owner was not willing earlier. The MC deposited compensation in the court, after which possession became possible,” he said.

Trust members expressed satisfaction and urged the authorities to expedite the work. Ashok Thapar said the road should be completed before March 23, when the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Rajguru would be observed, to enable easier public access.

Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar said legal hurdles had been cleared and manual demolition would begin soon, followed by road construction.

Sukhdev Thapar was executed at the age of 23 along with Bhagat Singh and Rajguru on March 23, 1931, at Lahore Central Jail.