Chaura Bazar under High Court lens, once again

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 18

The Valmiki Society in Industrial Area A might have got some relief from the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the hearing of encroachment removal case (Contempt of Court Petition 27 of 2013) by getting stay for two months, but encroachments in Chaura Bazaar have once again come under HC scanner.

According to well-placed sources in the building branch department, the court yesterday asked petitioner Rohit Sabharwal to provide detailed pictures of encroachments in Chaura Bazar to the court before the next hearing — December 18. At the same time, the court asked the Municipal Corporation to submit a detailed report before December 18 on how to take action against encroachments in Chaura Bazar.

Since removing encroachments from areas including Chaura Bazar, Talab Bazar, Gur Mandi is not an easy task, the officials of building branch are now “worried” over the next step to be taken.

An official with the building branch disclosed: “It is much easy to remove houses from public land, but as far as shops are concerned, the task is very tough as traders are a good vote bank for the ruling party. Whenever we tried to take action against violators, politicians from all major parties including SAD, BJP and the Congress intervened and we had to face the wrath. But this time, the court has clearly asked us to submit the action plan to remove encroachments from Chaura Bazar by December 18 and we have no other choice.”

In 1973, when the MC had no alternative to generate revenue, shopkeepers were asked to submit monthly rent to the MC and in lieu of that, projections were made in front of shops by the MC in absence of any written agreement. The shopkeepers extended their shops under the garb of projections and road portions were covered. Sadly, there was no record of rent taken from these shopkeepers and the sole purpose of revenue generation was also lost. Now these extensions were considered as “encroachments” and in 4886 writ petition, the court clarified that encroachments could not be regularised.

“There are about 350 such encroachments in Chaura Bazar. Last time, when action was taken in Karimpura Bazar, the MC officials had to face the wrath of public and politicians. Nobody wants to be in trouble, at the same time the court orders are to be adhered to. MC officials are in a tizzy because if they don’t submit the action plan before the court, they will face the music and if they take action against shopkeepers, the vote-bank of ruling party will be affected,” another official with the MC said.