30 families in co-op mills labour colony face eviction

Our Correspondent

Abohar, November 16

Thirty families which had come here from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha to serve in the Abohar Cooperative Spinning Mills about 25 years ago and were allotted small quarters in the labour colony may be rendered roofless next week.

The state government headed by then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had decided to wind up loss-making Spinfed that controlled the Abohar-based unit also in December 2001. The Vigilance Bureau was told to investigate scams that came to the fore in such mills, but proceedings were brushed under the carpet due to pressure exerted by powerful lobby of bureaucrats. Even after the mills here were shut down, about three dozen families have been staying in the colony.

About 32 years ago, the state government had acquired land to construct the industrial focal point near the new grain market. But it failed to raise the structure.

Later, the land was used for setting up cooperative spinning mills under the aegis of Spinfed. But the mills too failed to make a mark due to alleged corruption and malpractices. The land was later transferred to PUDA that too failed to develop a colony despite earning billions from allottees.

The allottees had approached the High Court, but were yet to get justice. PUDA claimed that Rs 3 crore was paid to the local Municipal Council to lay sewerage and water pipes, but the council misused the money to pay arrears of employees’ provident fund and clear some pending bills of the contractors.

PUDA had slapped notices on labour colony residents to vacate the quarters till November 18. The residents said their Aadhaar cards bear Labour Colony address and about 60 children were studying in various schools. They approached officials and political activists, but none had come to their rescue so far. The adult members were working as daily wagers or domestic help and to arrange fresh accommodation was an uphill task for them. PUDA official Rishipal refused to comment.