MC plans over 100% hike in penalty on encroachers

The Municipal Corporation (MC) has proposed to increase the penalty amount by over 100% to curb encroachments in the city. The agenda will be placed in the coming MC House meeting scheduled for February 17.

Despite the existing regulations, shopkeepers and residents continue to encroach on public spaces such as corridors, verandahs, pavements and parking areas. The enforcement wing conducts regular drives against such encroachments, but violators often return to public spaces once the teams leave.

At present, encroaches are fined Rs 2,000 for reclaiming seized items. The MC has now proposed a significant hike — Rs 5,500 for the first violation and Rs 6,000 for the second offence. In case of third-time violations, the MC plans to auction the articles seized from the encroachers.

“The current fine amount of Rs 2,000 is too meagre and fails to act as a deterrent,” MC officials noted in the agenda, adding that habitual violators exploit the system, causing inconvenience to visitors at public spaces.

The MC also proposed to extend the time period for releasing confiscated articles from 30 days to 45 days. According to officials, the current 30-day limit is insufficient for violators to reclaim their goods due to personal or financial constraints.

The officials also pointed out a disparity between penalties for encroachments and street-vending violations. Under the street-vending rules, fines range from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 for repeat violations. Licences are suspended for three months after the third violation, and permanently revoked upon the fifth offence. However, no such stringent measures are in place for shopkeepers or other habitual encroachers.

The proposal, if approved, is expected to significantly curb encroachments across Chandigarh and bring uniformity in penalties for violations.