Mohali, March 31 -- In yet another blow to over 700 allottees awaiting possession for over a decade, the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change has rejected the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority's proposal to swap 23 acres of forest land in Sector 90 with an alternative parcel in Mattewara village, Ludhiana, stalling the long-delayed project once again. The rejection effectively halts the only viable route GMADA had pursued to resolve the forest clearance impasse that emerged years after the authority acquired land for the new sector, leaving allottees staring at prolonged uncertainty. A senior Punjab government official confirmed that the green ministry had declined to grant the required no-objection certificate (NOC) for the land swap. "The proposal has been rejected, which means we cannot move ahead with the project at this stage. Senior officers will take up the matter again with the ministry," the official said. GMADA had acquired 229 acres in 2015 near Lakhnaur village under the land pooling scheme to develop Sector 90. However, the development authority did not seek the mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Punjab forest department at the time. Nearly six years later, when the NOC was applied for, it emerged that around 23 acres of the acquired land fell under the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900, making it ineligible for development without environmental clearance - a lapse that has held up the project ever since. Thereon, between 2022 and 2024, GMADA examined alternative approaches, including revising the sector's layout and redefining land use for non-forest purposes. But the proposals didn't fructify. The project finally saw progress last year, when the Punjab government approved a land swap plan to resolve the deadlock. GMADA even received approvals from the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) and later the Punjab forest department. The plan was subsequently sent to the Union ministry for final clearance. Meanwhile, allottees who were issued Letters of Intent (LoIs) have questioned the absence of due diligence in the acquisition process. Under the land pooling scheme, farmers have already been offered residential and commercial plots in exchange for the acquired land, while the Sector 90 allottees continue to wait for possession. GMADA officials had earlier maintained that the land's protected status was not known at the time of acquisition, with even revenue records not reflecting any restriction on development of Sector 90. Expressing frustration, allottee Jasbir Singh said, "We have been waiting for almost 10 years and still do not know what our fault is. GMADA should allot us plots at an alternative site." As per GMADA's development plan, 144 acres were to be developed in the first phase. Of this, 29 acres were earmarked for residential plots ranging from 100 to 500 square yards, 14 acres for commercial use and 11 acres for institutional purposes. Additionally, eight acres were allocated for parks, two acres for waterworks and 28 acres for road infrastructure. Even after repeated attempts, GMADA chief administrator Sakshi Sawhney could not be contacted for comments....