As UT, MC focus on Sec 22, encroachers sit pretty elsewhere

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 27

While the UT Administration and the Municipal Corporation have put their entire machinery in Sector 22 to remove encroachments, encroachers are having a field day in other parts of the city.

Eight sub-inspectors of the enforcement wing of the MC, an inspector of the UT Estate Office and staff of the UT police have been deployed in Sector 22 to keep a check on the encroachments. While this has paid off in Sector 22 as there are now no encroachments there, encroachers have put up a number of stalls in other parts of the city.

Corridors and pavements in the markets of Sectors 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 27, 28, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 44, 45, 46, the Industrial Area, Phase I and II, Mani Majra and Mauli Jagran, have been encroached upon by shopkeepers to display their goods, leading to congestion.

As the authorities are focusing on Sector 22, officials have turned a blind eye towards violations in other sectors. The corridors in most markets have been encroached upon either by vendors or shopkeepers to display their goods, hardly leaving any space for visitors to walk.

The situation in the booth markets in Sector 15 and 19 is even worse as shopkeepers have gone a step ahead and have rented out the facing walls and pillars to vendors. Goods such as clothes, bags and shoes can be seen hanging on the walls, which are being sold by vendors who pay rent for operating from outside the shops. This further makes movement difficult in the already narrow lanes of the market.

MC, police officials hold meeting

A day after Chandigarh Tribune highlighted that MC officials had to dial the 100 number for police assistance while dealing with encroachers in Sector 22, there was enough police force with the MC and the UT Estate Office staff to remove encroachments. MC officials also held a meeting with UT police officials in this regard on Monday.

Hearing in HC on May 19

In connection with encroachments in Sector 22, a hearing is scheduled in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for May 19.