MC claims lack of resources to remove encroachments

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 21

The Municipal Corporation claims that it is facing a shortage of vehicles for inspection of encroachments, as a result of which these flourish in the district. The Estate Department has only one truck, which is used to seize illegal stalls or encroachments on roads.

A team of the Estate Department, which raided vendors on the Majitha Road, seized flax boards, weigh scales and chairs from the vendors instead of removing their illegal stalls. Vendors allege that the Estate employees act under the pressure of officials to show their performance and that they don’t take action against established vendors.

Meanwhile, regular visitors to the area said that the exercise was futile and no change was observed after the MC drive. Surinder Kumar, a commuter said, “I have seen the anti-encroachment drive on Majitha road. They only pick a few valuable goods from stalls and exempt some of the vendors. We had expected the MC to remove all encroachments, but it was just a futile exercise”.

However, Jaswinder Singh, Estate Officer, MC said, “We don’t have the required number of vehicles to seize illegal stalls and roadside encroachments. How much material can we seize with a single truck? Moreover, we don’t have any vehicle for inspection.”