UT gets tough with encroachers

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 24

With the date of hearing in the case pertaining to encroachments in Sector 22 in the Punjab and Haryana High Court drawing closer, the UT Administration and the MC have started taking action to keep a check on the encroachments.

In an important order, MC Commissioner Vivek Partap Singh has issued directions to deploy staff of the enforcement wing from 10 am to 9 pm in Sector 22. Earlier, they were deployed till 5 pm after which encroachers used to set up their stalls. The situation in Shastri Market and SCOs and SCFs in Sector 22 was the same.

After the MC Commissioner’s directions, Additional Commissioner Sarita Malik, late in the evening, issued orders to deploy eight sub-inspectors in Sector 22.

According to the orders, three sub-inspectors -- Bhupinder Kaur, Madan Lal Sharma and Lalit Tyagi -- will be deployed in Sector 22 from 10 am to 6 pm. Thereafter, from 5 pm to 9 pm, four sub-inspectors -- Jatinder Pal Singh, Avtar Singh Goria, Bishan Lal and Nirmal Singh -- will keep a check on the encroachments. Besides, sub-inspector Jagmohan will be responsible for removing encroachments from the outer area of Sector 22 from 11 am to 7 pm.

Earlier in the day, UT Home Secretary Anurag Aggarwal held a special meeting with officials of the MC, the UT police and the Estate Office to deal with the encroachments in Sector 22.

The Home Secretary issued directions that apart from officials of the MC enforcement wing, now staff of the Estate Office and the UT police would also be deployed in Sector 22 till 9 pm. The Estate Office will issue a public notice informing shop owners in the Sector 22 market and Shastri Market that corridors were allotted to them along with shops but if they allowed encroachments in the corridors by subletting the side walls, the Estate Office would issue building misuse notices to them, which could further lead to sealing of shopsm, the Home Secretary told the officials at the meeting.

It was also decided that MC Additional Commissioner Sarita Malik and SDM (Central) Prince Dhawan would conduct surprise inspections to check encroachments in Sector 22.

The staff deployed at Sector 22 will also click photos and videograph the encroachments as well as the encroachers in Sector 22 daily, which will be submitted to their respective departments such as the MC, Estate Office and the UT police.

The HC had sought a reply from the UT Administration and the MC on the encroachments in the city. The case will come up for hearing on May 19.

The HC had rapped the UT and the MC for showing a “complete lack of will to do anything” on the problem of encroachments.

3 officials to be held accountable

According to the new directions issued by the UT Home Secretary, in case encroachments are still seen, especially in the area adjoining Kiran Theatre, showrooms and Shastri Market in Sector 22, three officials -- one each from the MC, Estate Office and UT police, who will be deployed there, will be held responsible. A senior UT official said strict action would be taken against erring officials.