Shivani Bhakoo
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, April 6
Around 33 constructions illegally raised within a radius of 1,000 square yards from the Baddowal Ammunition Depot will be demolished on April 8. The police, administration and the Municipal Corporation have been asked to prepare themselves well for the demolition drive.
A committee in this regard was constituted by Additional Deputy Commissioner. The SDM (West), chairman of the committee, has been given the task of getting illegal constructions close to Baddowal Ammunition Depot removed.
The issue of removing these 33 constructions was taken up on January 19 and 29 too.However, these couldn’t be removed due to “unavailability” of sufficient number of police personnel. Both the police and the MC authorities have been asked to coordinate on the issue and provide police force and JCB machines, etc, to the administration. The administration has also asked for arrangements for the videotaping of the drive.
In utter violation of the Works of Defense Act 1903 and orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, structures have come up in the prohibited 1,000-yard radius of the Indian Army’s 17-field ammunition depot at Baddowal, which is about 10 km from the city. Despite strict orders issued by the court in June 2011, the authorities concerned have failed to get all houses and buildings falling within a 1,000 yard radius from the depot vacated.
In a joint operation of the Army, police and the civil administration, a few illegal constructions were dismantled at Baba Nand Singh Nagar in the vicinity of the ammunition depot in 2003. These constructions were raised in violation of the apex court directions on maintaining a status quo. As per the rules, no commercial and residential construction can be carried out within a 1,000 yard radius from the depot. The joint operation was held under the supervision of the then Deputy Commissioner, Anurag Verma.