Illegal booth not removed in Amritsar, DC takes AIT staff to task

Amritsar, March 5

During a visit to Nehru Shopping Complex, Deputy Commissioner Harpreet Singh Sudan questioned the Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) officials for non-compliance of his orders to remove an illegal Verka booth and also took a notice of other encroachments in the area. The DC inspected the arrangements being made by the AIT on Mall Road and Lawrence Road in the wake of the G20 summit.

On February 14, the DC-cum-Chairman of AIT cancelled the allotment of a Verka booth near the Nehru Shopping Complex during the tenure of Dinesh Bassi, former chairman of the Trust. The staff of the AIT had displayed a notice to vacate the place immediately.

Even after 20 days of the notice, the AIT didn’t get the illegal kiosk removed.

The booth was allotted in July 2020. Buildings norms were violated for installing the booth. After the allotment, shopkeepers in the Trust building opposed it as the booth blocked the path toward stairs. The Engineering Branch of the AIT submitted a report on it on January 5 and said the booth was located in the corridor, 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. Based on this, the temporary allotment of the booth was cancelled. The shopkeepers and residents had complained to the AIT, but no action was taken.

The DC also took a note of other encroachments in the area. Earlier, before the DC’s visit, AIT employees removed encroachments from Lawrence Road.

Notice to vacate it displayed on Feb 14

• On February 14, the DC-cum-Chairman of AIT cancelled the allotment of a Verka booth near the Nehru Shopping Complex during the tenure of Dinesh Bassi, former chairman of the Trust. The staff of the AIT had displayed a notice to vacate the place immediately
• Even after 20 days of the notice, the AIT didn’t get the illegal kiosk removed. The booth was allotted in July 2020. Buildings norms were violated for installing the booth. After the allotment, shopkeepers in the Trust building opposed it. The Engineering Branch of the AIT submitted a report on it on January 5 and said the booth was located in the corridor, in violation of rules