MC demolition drive in Meena Bazaar

Jalandhar, February 20

The Municipal Corporation of Jalandhar (MCJ) here today carried out a demolition drive in Meena Bazaar and the Saidan Gate area under stiff opposition from the area shopkeepers.

At around 12 noon, a town planning team, led by Municipal Town Planner Meharbaan and Assistant Town Planner Shyam Sunder Bhatia, accompanied by over 70 cops from three police stations, reached the venue and began the demolition drive.

Following this, the shopkeepers protested against the action and accused the civic body of taking action against “selected properties”. According to shopkeeper Sushil Kakkar, despite the market having over 40 shops, the civic body had sent notices to only six shops.

“When all of them have encroached outside the shops, why notices were served to only six of us? Due to this, we did not carry out the demolition on our own despite getting the notices,” said Kakkar.

The MC team also reached the Saidan gate and demolished some shops there. The shopkeepers lodged a protest and claimed that the MC had carried out demolition without sending them any notice. Some even took out their shirts to protest against the “surprise action” carried out by the MCJ. According to the MTP Meharban, the department had carried out the action after sending them two notices. “The first one was sent in November last year followed by another warning notice on February 2 this year. Despite this, the shopkeepers did not adhere to our warning to vacate the encroached area,” said Meharban. — TNS