Punjab govt eyes prime property in Bathinda to generate funds
BATHINDA : The cash-strapped state authorities are exploring options to dispose of public properties, including residential accommodation meant for senior officials in Bathinda district, to generate funds.
As part of this plan, district administration officials will hold a meeting on Tuesday to assess the feasibility to shift residences of government officers to the Thermal Colony of the now-defunct Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Power Plant (GNDTP), Bathinda. The GNDPT has been defunct since January 1, 2018.
Government buildings around the district administrative complex are spread over 40-acre of prime land. Sources said authorities are exploring options on converting this area, comprising over 50 buildings, including the Circuit House, residences of DC, SSP and women police station into a commercial city centre. The idea was first mooted in January this year.
“These residences are quite old and prone to acute water-logging. It may be a viable option to dispose of the zone for commercial activities after strengthening infrastructure. The Police Lines complex, located on a very prime location, may also be shifted. A commercial city centre could be developed,” says the source. Spread over 400-acre, the Thermal Colony has emerged as a preferred option, as it has 155 independent houses and over 1,000 flats, but many are in a dilapidated condition.
Deputy commissioner B Srinivasan said the administration was working to make a proposal in this regard, but there was no finality on the project yet. The move has raised a question mark on the state government’s plan to revive the GNDTP.