Shimla MC officials allege interference in anti-encroachment drive

Shimla, June 8

The issue of displacement and rehabilitation of encroachers from the Lower Bazar area does not seem to be ending any time soon. After the High Court orders, Shimla Municipal Corporation had started issuing notices to the encroachers who are now refusing to take the notices.

Identification work completed

The identification of encroachers has already been done but whenever we go to the field to issue them notices, it turns out that the tehbazari union representatives and members get information and make the encroachers escape from the location temporarily, making our task difficult. Superintendent, shimla mc

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MC officials, who are issuing notices to encroachers, have alleged that the representatives of ‘tehbazari’ union are “interfering” in their work. A meeting between Shimla MC officials and representatives of ‘tehbazari’ union was held recently. During the meeting when the union brought up the matter of relocation of ‘encroachers’ to Sabzi Mandi area, it was said that this would mean compromising with their businesses. The MC officials had assured them that it would come up with a viable solution to their problem.

Amar Chand, Superintendent, SMC Estate branch, said, “Following the high court orders, we had started issuing notices to encroachers and have issued 38 notices to them so far. But now our work is getting affected with the undue interference of ‘tehbazari’ union representatives and members. The identification of encroachers has already been done but whenever we go to the field to issue them notices, the ‘tehbazari’ union representatives and members get information and make the encroachers escape from the location temporarily. This makes our task difficult. Now we will bring the matter to the notice of the court that our work is being disrupted by ‘tehbazari’ union members.”

He added, “The due process for the relocation/rehabilitation of those displaced would be followed by the corporation. But ‘tehbazari’ union and encroachers have to cooperate with us. Whether there are registered or unregistered sellers, they will be removed from the Lower Bazar area. We had removed 103 encroachments, over-hangings and projections from three different areas in the city before the anti-encroachment drive was disrupted by some hawkers.”