Ludhiana, May 26 -- A decades-old land dispute between Akalgarh Kalan and Navi Abadi Akalgarh has erupted into fresh tensions after the state department of rural development and panchayats officially ordered the transfer of seven acres of panchayat land to Navi Abadi, triggering anger among residents of the parent village.

The department's notification follows a 33-year-long legal battle after Akalgarh Kalan was split in 1993, creating Navi Abadi Akalgarh. Despite its formation, Navi Abadi had not been allotted any share of the village panchayat land until now.

The development has sparked outrage in Akalgarh Kalan. Local residents claim the land originally belonged to their ancestors and was left for community use, asserting that only t...