Police encroach upon MC guest house

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, November 30
Expecting the Phagwara MC  to clear encroachments from public property may be asking for too much as the civic body is not even able to evict encroachers from properties under its direct control.
The police are illegally occupying the municipal council’s guest house for the past 21 years despite being asked to move out.
The office of the DSP, presently the SP office, is functioning from the guesthouse. But given the power that the police yield no authority in the corporation has been able to get the premises vacated.
The Tribune has learnt that the former Nagar Council had passed resolutions and submitted a memorandum to the Punjab DGP and Principal Secretary, Local Bodies, more than seven years back to initiate the necessary steps to get the guest house vacated.
Although the new police complex, including offices and residences, has been constructed near Gurdwara Sukhchain Sahib, the police do not seem in a mood to vacate the guest house.
SP, Phagwara, Gursewak Singh Brar, expressed his ignorance saying he joined his duty in this office and moreover, the NC never asked him to vacate the guest house. Even the police have encroached the land of PRTC and running traffic police in bus stand, Phagwara, land for the last several years.
Another significant occupation, which the council has not been able to do anything, is on a large portion of the council premises by the City Club for the last 38 years. Its lease expired in 1976.
The City Club, which is headed by Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, who is the permanent president of the club, was paying a token rent of Re 1 to the council till 13 years ago when the then NC president Kharaiti Lal Gaba hiked it to Rs 100 per month, whereas the present market rate of the area is more than Rs 1 lakh per month.
Municipal Corporation authorities said neither the club was renewing its lease nor was it considering increase in the lease rent. However, they would take up the matter soon.