Tejasvi Minhas, a city based social and environmental activist has filed a complaint against the managing committee of Gurudwara Nauvi Patshahi at GTB Nagar and the owner of an under construction commercial building on Rainbow Road in Model Town for illegal cutting and selling of healthy green standing trees. Minhas has filed a complaint with the Jalandhar Municipal Commissioner and the Jalandhar Commissioner of Police. As per the information, he has also sent the copies of these complaints to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Office.
In his complaint he flags the following concerns:
1. Dozens of healthy green standing trees have been cut and claims that this is one hundred percent an illegal activity.
2. He also alleges that wood from these threes is also being sold privately which again he quotes is a completely illegal activity.
He says that these trees are a part of old plantation of Model Town area and were heritage trees. Minhas says that this is a direct violation of the Punjab Trees Preservation Policy 2024 and also against the total violation of the Punjab Protection of Trees Act of 2025.
The social and environmental activist claims that there were more than 20 heritage old trees which were illegally cut to install ornamental lights on the road divider opposite to the GTB Nagar Gurdwara. He further claims that these trees have been fully mutilated leaving behind small stumps. Similarly, two large teak trees, both part of the old plantation in Model Town, were cut by the direct instructions of the owners of the plot on Rainbow Road in Model Town and everything other than the main trunk was cut. Minhas has requested the administration to take strict action against the culprits.
In response to the compliant, Kawaljit Singh from the managing committee of Gurudwara Nauvi Patshahi at GTB Nagar states that the action was taken because of the electrical wiring in the region that was being hindered by the growth of the trees. He says that a hospital is also run here and the electrical short circuits happening due to this was becoming a recurrent issue. He further adds that the committee has always been promoting tree plantation by frequently organizing ‘plant langar’. Talking about the cutting of the trees on the road divider opposite to the GTB Nagar Gurdwara he adds that it was a necessary step taken for the beautification of the area and as spring approaches the committee is committed to planting more smaller planters in the area as well.