High drama at Danga Peerit Colony

Tribune News Service

Mohali, June 24

High drama was witnessed at Danga Peerit (riot victims) Colony in Phase 11 here when a number of residents, supported by Mohali’s Congress senior deputy mayor Rishabh Jain and Municipal Corporation councillors, restrained a team of GMADA from getting vacated houses, which are allegedly under unauthorised possession, here today.

On getting information, the local police rounded up more than 10 persons, including Jain, councillors Jasbir Manku and Paramjit Singh Kahlon, and president of the District Akali Dal (urban), and took them to the Phase 11 police station for questioning. Earlier, a number of residents of the colony gathered when the GMADA team reached there to get as many as 42 houses vacated, which are said to be under illegal possession, after serving prior notices. The GMADA team was led by Estate Officer Sukhwinder Kaur. The residents of the colony assembled immediately and started raising slogans against the GMADA authorities. Meanwhile, Jain and Manku, accompanied by their supporters, reached the spot and tried to thwart GMADA attempt to get the houses vacated. Local SAD leader Kahlon also reached there. “We will not allow vacation of the houses in question at any cost. The occupants have no solid proof to claim their rights. The GMADA authorities should give them more time,” said Jain.

Jain said he would take up the matter with senior government officials.

Kahlon said during the SAD-BJP regime, the occupants of the houses were never harassed. “Now with the Congress coming into power in Punjab, their harassment has started. They have been in possession of the houses for more than past 25 years,” said Kahlon. The agitating residents said they would not allow the GMADA team to initiate any action. On getting information, the local police reached the spot and rounded up the councillors along with the residents.

The residents were pacified on the condition that they would be given more time to produce proof of their claim. Later, the GMADA team left the spot without any action.

“We will contemplate giving more time to the residents in question,” said an official of GMADA. Meanwhile, all persons, rounded up by the police, were let off.

After the 1984 riots, several riot victims had come to the town. The government had then provided them with houses here. Some of the victims had occupied vacant government houses. “Certain families, who are yet to procure ‘red cards’ (issued by the government to the riot victims), are being termed as unauthorised occupants and being served notices to vacate the houses under their possession,” said a resident of the colony.