Civic body’s drive to remove encroachments halted again

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 11

The drive initiated by the Municipal Corporation (MC), Bathinda, to remove encroachments around the ponds has been halted again.

The building branch of the civic body had issued notices to the owners of 15 shops and houses constructed around the Sanguana Basti pond. Now, the owners have moved court against the notices.

The owners said they had been living here for a long time and they had got sewerage, water and electricity connections. But all of a sudden, the MC had sent notices claiming that the land belongs to it. The owners added that they had been asked to vacate the land within three days, which was wrong.

Seven cases have been filed against the MC and the court has set July 12 and July 18 as next dates for hearing in two cases.

However, the civic body has not submitted its reply in the court.

MC officials said those who had filed cases had not submitted land ownership documents in the court.

They said most of the Sanjay Nagar pond area was shamlat land and the civic body had the ownership rights, so they would submit their ownership documents. They are hopeful the court will announce its verdict in their favour. Thereafter, the MC would start demolishing illegal construction around the ponds, the officials said.

Senior Town Planner (STP) Kamaljit Kaur said now, the civic body would file its reply in the court. She added that so far, the court had not passed any stay order.