The case of construction of first floor of shops along the historic Quila Mubarak fort here after they were sold to its tenants by the Municipal Corporation recently has taken a fresh turn with the district administration appealing to the Department of Cultural Affairs take steps to stop private construction along the outer walls of the fort.

The case came to light last month when after 36 shops owned by the corporation along the outer wall of Quila Mubarak were sold to their tenants. As only ground floors of the shops had been built earlier the shopkeepers applied for building the first floor and were given permission by the corporation to do so.

The Archaeological and Cultural Affairs Department came into picture after one shopkeeper started constructing the first storey. The shopkeeper was served a notice by the department which also took up the case with the Municipal Corporation. The corporation, however, expressed its inability to do anything in the case as the shops had been sold to the tenants under due procedure and that all formalities had been completed while sanctioning the building plans. The construction of one shop has been completed while the other shopkeepers are adopting a wait-and-watch policy.

Now in a letter to the Principal Secretary, Department of Cultural Affairs, Patiala Deputy Commissioner Jasbir Singh Bir said Quila Mubarak was the core around which the city had been built and that it was facing a risk of falling into obscurity due to the likelihood of construction of the first floor of shops along its walls.