Lost Password? No account yet? Register
  • Narrow screen resolution
  • Wide screen resolution
  • Auto width resolution
  • Increase font size
  • Decrease font size
  • Default font size
Proposal again to develop Lodhi Fort PDF Print E-mail
Written by Kanchan Vasdev, Tribune News Service   
Friday, 13 July 2007

Lodhi FortLudhiana.

With the local bodies department announcing a new proposal for conserving the abandoned Lodhi Fort, and developing it as a tourist attraction centre, the over 400 years monument is back in focus with the renewed hope of getting a lease of life.

There is plan to develop hanging gardens in 3.5 acres around the fort and a park on Daresi Grounds, situated 200 meters from it.

Local bodies minister Manoranjan Kalia yesterday announced that they had chalked out a comprehensive plan to develop hanging gardens in 3.5 acres around Lodhi Fort and a walkers park on Daresi Grounds, situated 200 meters from the fort. The announcement came as a breather for the residents of old city who had been demanding green parks in the congested city.

But there seems to be a long way to go. If the past experiences are to be taken into account, many such proposals were mooted in the past with none living to the lofty promises. While the government dithers, the land of the fort has been gradually encroached upon and many historical things in it have gone missing

There were canons placed on four sides of the fort, situated at a high mound above the surrounding areas. It was only a campaign launched by The Tribune in 2002 that forced the administration to save the last of the four canons. Interestingly, all projects have been mooted during the SAD-BJP government.

In 2002, the vacant but prime land of the historical Lodhi Fort attracted several takers. While the Knitwear Club and the National Institute of Fashion Designing lobbied hard for getting the land on lease, the authorities of the Punjab Police Academy at Phillaur demanded control over the place with promises of conserving it. The State Archaeology Department had also jumped in the fray claiming it would declare it as a protected monument and conserve it.

The Knitwear Club, along with NIFD, was endeavouring to acquire the land. It had mooted a proposal to the district administration in 2001 to open a research-cum-training institute there.

It was also the part of a special tourism circuit formulated by successive governments. It was proposed that tourists to Punjab would visit the fort and the house of Shaheed Sukhdev, situated not very far from it. None of these moves materialised and the fort remained abandoned.

The fort remained forgotten all these years. Now, with the SAD-BJP back in saddle, a fresh proposal has been mooted. But only time would tell, if the fort would be ever conserved and developed.


Comments (0) >> feed
Show/Hide commentstoggle
Write comment
Show/Hide comment formtoggle

busy
 
< Prev   Next >
[ Back ]
efkBanner