The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered for the demolition of all structures that lie within 1,000 yards of 17 Field Ammunition Depot of the Indian Army in Baddowal.

The demolition order comes as a final nail in the coffin for four marriage palaces — Megha Resorts, Springfields Resorts, Casa Le Baron and White Rock Marriage Palace — that had been fighting a legal battle against the district administration for the last eight years.

The court has also decided to award compensation to those who had raised the structures before 1983.

However, unhappy with the compensation amount, owner of Megha Resorts Vijay Kumar Verma said: “We will move the apex court for a revision in compensation as the amount offered is meagre.”

It was on March 19, 2001, that the High Court had first asked the Ludhiana administration to raze all structures within the said limit (1,000 yards) of the 17, Field Ammunition Depot of the Indian Army at Baddowal.

The marriage palaces reportedly are among the various structures that had come up on either side of the national highway in violation of the Works of Defence Act, 1903. The court has, meanwhile, asked those eligible for compensation to claim their due by submitting applications to the district administration by July 27.