MC tough with tax defaulters, lenient with encroachers

AMRITSAR: Although the Municipal Corporation (MC) has been stern with tax defaulters and sealed 10 building during the last three days drive against those, who failed to pay their dues, yet when it comes to encroachments, officials seems be going soft.

There is an alarming traffic chaos due to roadside encroachments in Amritsar. photo: Sunil Kumar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 24

Although the Municipal Corporation (MC) has been stern with tax defaulters and sealed 10 building during the last three days drive against those, who failed to pay their dues, yet when it comes to encroachments, officials seems be going soft.

The civic body received a large number of complaints regarding roadside encroachments but failed to act against violators. Residents expect strict action against vendors indulging in roadside encroachments and hampering free flow of the traffic.

There are several areas in the city, where commuters face heavy traffic jams due to encroachments. Many illegal roadside fruit and vegetable markets have sprung up in the city due to relaxation by officials concerned.

Illegal markets on footpaths are also creating bottlenecks as residents buy goods after parking their vehicles on road, which further leads to congestion. Similarly, several illegal parking lots also create hurdles for commuters.

A resident Sandip Singh said, “The MC has been conducting raids on premises of those, who have defaulted in tax payments. It is good, but why officials are not focusing on public grievances. The whole city is choked due to encroachments. The MC is quite lenient with encroachers”.

Another resident Satwant Kaur of the Tung Bala area said, “It takes half an hour to cross the 4 km stretch from Ghala Mala Chowk to bypass on the Majitha road only due to encroachments. The public has complained several times about illegal occupation of the government land but, officials show no concern. We demand immediate removal of encroachments.”

Meanwhile, the property tax wing of the MC sealed four commercial establishments on Lawrence Road yesterday. A team comprising Vishal Wadhawan, Daljit Singh, Dharminder Singh and Asish Aggarwal sealed Pizza Italia Restaurant and three other buildings. “Rs 4.59 lakh was recovered from defaulters,” said Daljit Singh, a superintendent working with the MC.