NURMAHAL
Residents of the Punjab state have asked the Punjab police to vacate and hand over Maharaja Ranjit Singh Fort Phillaur, a national monument to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Dilbag Singh a resident of Baina Pur village and a social activist in a written representation to the principal secretary of home affairs and justice Punjab, the director general of Punjab police, and the director general of the police academy (PPA) Phillaur said that the Union government had declared the fort a monument of national importance through a notification issued on September 7 ,2011.
Dilbag Singh said the fort and moat should be handed over to the ASI earlier so that conservation work could be undertaken as per archaeological norms and the monument is open to the public.
Dilbag Singh said in his representation that Justice Hemant Gupta of the Punjab and Haryana High Court while disposing of his contempt petition on September 27, 2010, has ordered that in view of the notification declaring the fort as a monument of national importance consequential steps shall be taken in accordance with the law.
Dilbag Singh said that Chief Justice T.S.Thakur and justice Surya Kant of the Punjab and Haryana High Court disposing of his civil petition on August 25 2008 has said that it goes without saying that if the government of India eventually declares the fort at Phillaur as a monument of National importance all consequences otherwise flowing from such declaration would follow.
He said that during these 12 years the Punjab police repeatedly rejected all requests by the ASI to hand over the fort to it for conservation work.
Dilbag Singh said due to encroachment Ranjit Singh's fort has not been opened to tourists and the public.
He said that if no action is taken on his representation within three months, he will be constrained to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court for vacating the National monument Ranjit Singh fort Phillaur.