High drama at Grand Walk Mall

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 13

High drama was witnessed at Grand Walk Mall, Ferozepur Road, here late evening today when a team of the MC reached there to seal an illegal floor. Many SAD leaders, including Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria,  came in support of Gurdeep Jujhar, who owns the mall. However, the Mayor and Dhillon said they had gone to visit the mall, not to intervene in the issue.

Meanwhile, the SAD leaders did not let the sealing or demolition take place and the team had to return.

The Mayor said: “I am not taking anybody’s side, but it is mandatory to take prior permission from the Mayor before going for any such drive. Here, no permission was sought. I visited the spot and found nothing was encroached upon. The allegedly encroached place is used by a school and serves as an approach way to a senior citizens home and Lodhi Club.”

One of the senior officials of the MC said the leaders did not let the MC team carry out its task. “They raised slogans and intervened in the matter. We had no other option but to come back without action,” the official added.

Gurdeep Jujhar said first, it was Sunday and secondly, no prior notice was served on him before taking action. “This is a political vendetta against me. Such tactics are being adopted for getting political mileage, which is unfortunate,” he said.

Meanwhile, Simarjit Singh Bains, a leader of the Lok Insaaf Party, who raised the issue yesterday, said if the MC had failed to take action, he would move the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the violators and the civic body authorities. “They do not take a minute while demolishing shanties of the poor and needy, and here when an influential person is involved, the team came back without taking action,” said Bains.