Phagwara MC forms panel to suggest action over occupied properties

Ashok Kaura

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Phagwara, November 17

Getting no reply from the SSP and the DC, Kapurthala, on the issue of illegal occupation of the civic body properties, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has formed a five-member committee to analyse the situation and submit its recommendation for further action. The MC land has been occupied by the City Club, headed by the DC, and a guest house of the Phagwara SP.

Mayor Arun Khosla confirmed the development after chairing a meeting here today. The meeting was attended by 43 out of 50 councillors. The councillors on the MC panel are Munish Parbhakar (Congress), Baljinder Singh Thekedar (SAD), Vikki Sood and Anurag Mankhand (BJP) and Davinder Sapra (Independent).

The MC had issued notices to the police and the administration on September 25.

MC Assistant Commissioner Surjit Singh had asked the police to either pay the rent arrears of Rs 65.71 lakh in a week or vacate the MC guest house that was under the occupation of the police for over 24 years. He said the MC had evaluated the rent in 1994 which was Rs 1,32,750 per annum. The rent was hiked by 20% after every three years. But the police didn’t pay even a single penny. The SP office functions from the guest house.

The new police complex, including offices and residences of officials, has been constructed near Gurdwara Sukhchain Sahib, but the police appear to be in no mood to leave the guest house. The MC has sent notice to the DGP and the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, for further action.

Over seven years ago, the erstwhile Nagar Council, headed by the then president Balbhadhar Sein Duggal, had written to the DGP and Principal Secretary, Local Bodies, to get the guest house vacated.

Similarly, the Phagwara City Club owes Rs 3.24 crore to the MC as it hasn’t paid rent for 41 years. The lease agreement expired in 1976. The City Club, headed by the Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, was paying a token rent of Rs 1 to the council till 16 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 5 lakh per month.

According to the MC, the club neither renews its lease nor agrees for increasing the rent. MC Assistant Commissioner Surjit Singh said the City Club as well as the SP office had been asked to either pay the arrears or vacate the MC property.

Meanwhile, the MC decided to look after the street light work itself instead of hiring contractors.

The Mayor said the MC had made licence fee compulsory for vendors, including rickshaws.

Heated arguments were witnessed among the Mayor and Congress councillors Gurbchan Singh Walia, Sanjeev Bugga, Munish Parbhakar and some SAD-BJP councillors on various issues.