Lakhanpur is the entry point to our State. It is a commercial town where thousands of truck loaded with merchandise move to and from day and night. Sometime in the past it was felt that to systematize the development of the entire region Lakhanpur-Bani-Basholi-Sarthal Circuit of 213 kanals of land should be identified and placed in the hands of the Development Authority. Since some of the identified land belonged to the Punjab State, some to the J&K State and some was in private possession, the first step in pushing forward the project was to acquire the land for which there are very clear and indisputable rules and regulations.
The plan conceived was to allot this land for establishing Travelers Mart with the idea of boosting the trade and inviting people to accelerate business activities. But so far nothing in the name of Travelers Mart has come up. The immediate question is of giving physical possession of the land to the stakeholders. To take the physical possession of 114 kanals and 18 marlas, there is an imminent requirement of fencing. Authorities claim that as soon as funds become available, the entire parcel of land will be fenced to prevent encroachment. It is expected that district administration has assured that magisterial support and police assistance will be provided as and when required.
Hundreds of thousands of people travel through Lakhanpur. It is a strategic point where people coming to and going from Jammu and Kashmir invariably meet. The idea of establishing Travelers Mart at this point is an exciting idea and should be translated into practice without further delay.
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