His statement was contrary to the promises made by Jasjit Singh Bunny, incharge SAD in Kharar and the chairman of Punjab Cooperative Bank. Bunny had stated on behalf of Badal that 378 shopkeepers would be provided with built-up booths soon and that the Chief Minister had cleared their files.

Now, when Badal has himself made a statement, the agitated shopkeepers said that they would not compromise on the issue.

Earlier a survey report by SDO Pritam Singh said that there were 378 shops in the market. Singh, however, had remarked in the survey that the close relatives of shopkeepers had divided the original shop and he categorised them under A, B, C, D, etc. along with the rehri numbers.

Since the serial number is only up to 322, the total number comes out to be only 358 by adding these categories.

The GMADA officials in their report wanted to cut the number of shops further, which were sold after the survey as the buyer could get only rehri and not the land as the seller was not the owner of the land.

Moreover, the GMADA authorities also said the shopkeepers who had rented their shops should also be excluded from the list. The GMADA authorities were ready to give shops to only to 200 persons but the shopkeepers all the 378 shopkeepers should be given shops.