Amritsar Improvement Trust team fails to comply with DC’s order to remove illegal Verka booth

Manmeet Singh Gill

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Amritsar, March 7

Owners of the illegal Verka booth opened near the Nehru Shopping Complex forced a team of the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) to return empty handed as they forcefully unloaded their seized equipment from a mini-truck. Later, the workers at the booth were seen doing their business as usual.

Earlier too, when the AIT had removed illegal seating arrangement made by the nearby eateries, the Trust had failed to take any action as the owners claimed that a court had granted them stay.

The illegal booth was allotted during the tenure of former AIT chairman Dinesh Bassi. Sources in the AIT alleged that Bassi had by-passed all norms to favour his relatives. Though the use of public corridor for setting up the illegal booth had been under question for long, the local administration had cancelled its allotment around three weeks ago.

In a recent visit to the Lawrence Road area, two days ago, to oversee the preparations being made for the G20 summit, Deputy Commissioner Harpreet Singh Sudan took stern notice of the non-compliance of his orders regarding removal of the encroachment.

The booth was allotted in July 2020. The operators had violated building norms for installing the structure. Even as the shopkeepers in the Nehru Shopping Complex had objected to the setting up of the booth in the corridor, which blocked the passage to the stairs, it took nearly two years for a team to visit the place to remove the kiosk, even if it proved futile.

Earlier on January 5, the Engineering Branch of the AIT had submitted a report stating that the booth was located in the corridor and is in violation of rules. The AIT law officer also gave his opinion that the booth was not installed at the allotted place. There was no space for the booth in the layout plan of the building.

‘Operate biz in violation of laws’

• Owners of the illegal Verka booth forcefully unload their seized equipment from a mini-truck. Later, the workers at the booth were seen doing their business as usual.
• Earlier too, when the AIT had removed illegal seating arrangement made by the nearby eateries, the Trust had failed to take any action as the owners claimed that a court had granted them stay
• In a recent visit to the Lawrence Road area, two days ago, to oversee the preparations being made for the G20 summit, Deputy Commissioner Harpreet Singh Sudan took stern notice of the non-compliance of his orders regarding removal of the encroachment