PHAGWARA: A long-standing dispute over a “Granular material plant” in Atti village of Phillaur constituency resurfaced on Sunday, when a large police contingent and senior administrative officers arrived to carry out road demarcation near the site. Villagers gathered in protest, alleging that the plant has been set up on agricultural land against their consent.
Local residents, led by farm leader Jasveer Singh Kamalpura and panchayat member Gurpreet Singh Gopi, said the heavy vehicles accessing the plant damage the village’s agricultural road, which they insist was never meant for commercial or industrial use. They also expressed concerns about the safety of children, pointing out that a school is located nearby.
Villagers further alleged that the plant’s owners had earlier assured the community during a meeting that the unit would not be set up in the village. However, they later obtained court permissions to operate. Now, citing High Court directions, officials have come to demarcate the road, though villagers claim no such explicit order has been issued.
On site, Tehsildar Mandeep Singh clarified that the road demarcation was being conducted in line with High Court directions and a complaint filed by the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO), Phillaur. He said the road in question is approximately 19 feet wide and was being officially marked.
Villagers maintained that they are not opposed to road demarcation itself, but insisted it should be done transparently and fairly, rather than as a formality. They also reiterated their firm opposition to the operation of the plant within their village.C