Amritsar Improvement Trust clears encroachments on its land in Bhai Gurdas Nagar area

The Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) today cleared encroachments from its land in the Bhai Gurdas Nagar area, also known as the New Amritsar 340-acre scheme. The operation, carried out using JCB machines, was conducted under the supervision of Trust Chairman Karamjit Singh Rintu.

Giving information about the operation, Chairman Rintu said permanent illegal structures were constructed on land worth crores of rupees belonging to the Trust. He said the Trust was now undertaking the construction of a road at the site from which encroachments were removed. The road would provide significant relief to residents from traffic snarls, he said.

Upon receiving complaints regarding encroachments, Trust officials including Superintending Engineer Rakesh Garg and Executive Engineer Amandeep Singh were instructed to take immediate action. Under their supervision and in the presence of Duty Magistrate Naib Tehsildar Angadpreet Singh Brar, along with Makboolpura Station House Officer and a large police force, more than a dozen permanently built shops were demolished with JCB machines. Rintu said all encroachments on the AIT land would be removed in the coming days. He emphasised that the Trust was committed to developing a 60-foot-wide road at the site.

Earlier, a team from the AIT reached Ranjit Avenue’s booth No. 91 on Wednesday to remove an alleged illegal occupant. However, the operation was disrupted, when the occupant resisted eviction.

Executive Engineer Amandeep Singh said despite reaching the site as scheduled, the situation escalated quickly when the booth’s owner and his associates created a ruckus, obstructing official from performing their duty. “We were not allowed to remove illegal occupant from the booth despite government’s order for resumption of the property way back in 2018,” he said.

The booth owner, on the other hand, presented a different side of the story. The owner claimed that he had already paid around Rs 8 lakh to the AIT in six instalments for purchasing the booth. However, due to a family dispute three to four instalments were delayed, he said.

According to him, the booth was originally allotted in 2001 to his mother, uncle and aunt. “We are willing to pay the outstanding amount with interest. We are not here to illegally occupy government property,” the owner asserted. “The Trust is refusing to accept the payment despite our willingness to comply with all conditions,” he said. Following public resistance and heated exchanges, the Trust’s team was forced to return without eviction of the occupant from booth.