Residents of Sangrur have approached the Punjab Government for the cancellation of the site for the proposed medical college on the orchard land of Kheri village in the Sangrur district. The site identified for the medical college is part of the land.
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Residents of Sangrur have approached the Punjab Government for the cancellation of the site for the proposed medical college on the orchard land of Kheri village in Sangrur district.
The site identified for the medical college is part of the 40-acre government orchard managed by the Department of Horticulture. It happens to be one of the region’s very few thriving green belts left in the home district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The plantation has groves of mango trees which are more than 60 years old. Besides tall eucalyptus trees, the orchard has a repository of traditional wealth of jamun, amla, peach and jackfruit. The tree cover is also home to a myriad species of the already shrinking avian population.
Lack of Due Process:
It is alleged that the land transfer from the Revenue Department to the Department of Medical Education took place without public consultation, environmental assessment, or proper inter-departmental coordination—an act described as administrative haste and disregard for due diligence.
Regulatory and Legal Non-Compliance:
The proposal violates infrastructure norms stipulated for medical colleges, which mandate a unitary campus. The letter notes that the proposed college site is 16 km away from the associated hospital at Mastuanna Sahib, rendering the plan non-compliant. Enclosed documentation includes the 15.07.2009 Gazette of India notification to support this claim.
Risk of Contempt and Legal Fallout:
The representation references recent orders by the Punjab & Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court of India restraining the felling of mature trees, warning that proceeding with the current plan may expose senior officials to judicial scrutiny and potential contempt.
Precedent of Environmentally Responsible Governance:
Highlighting a recent instance where the Horticulture Department moved the proposed Centre of Excellence for Onions away from Kheri to protect the orchard, the signatories argue that this precedent should not be undermined.
A Vision in Honour of Sant Attar Singh Ji:
Emphasizing that the hospital is to be named after Sant Attar Singh Ji of Mastuana Sahib, the letter urges the government to align the college project with his legacy by situating both institutions nearby—echoing his vision of educational excellence for the region.
Enclosures and Prayer:
The letter is accompanied by judicial orders, regulatory guidelines, maps, and photographs of the orchard. The residents have requested three urgent actions:
● Immediate stay on activity at the Kheri site pending legal and environmental review.
● Reevaluation of alternative sites, particularly near Mastuanna Sahib.
● Protection of the Kheri orchard as a vital ecological and public heritage site.
“Let us be remembered not for what we destroyed in haste, but for what we chose to preserve with wisdom,” the representation concludes.
In a letter to Chief Secretary KAP Singh, leading environmentalist Jasinder Sekhon has sought immediate intervention in the matter
Replying to a The SNPNEWS.IN query, Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Rishi said he had got a copy of the representation against the proposed medical college. “We need to be looking into the details of all objections and only then will be able to offer our comments.
Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Rishi said
“I can only say that the orchard does not have a very old tree plantation. Fruit-bearing plants are regularly changed. I will be able to comment officially only after going through the issues highlighted in the mail.
”The letter has quoted the Medical Council of India guidelines which read: “The medical college or medical institution shall be housed in a unitary campus of not less than 25 acres. In special cases where allowed, the distances between two campuses shall not be more than 10 km.
”The existing hospital at Mastuana was 16 km from the proposed college. The convener of the Sangrur chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Brig Rajsher Singh Grewal (retd), said, “We are not against any developmental project. The government needs to look for an alternative site. Any construction in the already very poor fragile ecological haven flouts all regulatory norms.”
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‘Not at the cost of green cover’Saurav Garg, a legal expert, said, “We are asking for a stay on any activity on the project till there was a thorough legal review. We definitely want a medical college in Sangur, but not at the cost of already very poor green cover.”