7 shops sealed, reopened by MC in Phagwara market

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 4

Seven shops sealed by the town planning wing of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation in Phagwara market at 7 am on Friday were allowed to open in the evening.

The matter pertaining to commercial shops at the Phagwara Gate is in the court. As per civic body officials, residents of the area had filed a writ that people started using their residential spaces for commercial purposes.

The owners were ordered to produce documents stating that they were using their spaces as shops before implementation of the Master Plan in 2009-2010.

“Some shopkeepers could not produce the documents. As a result, we sealed the shops,” said an official of the civic body.

The moment the shops were sealed, Baljit Singh Ahluwalia, chief, Electronic Market Phagwara Gate Association, along with shopkeepers met the Joint Commissioner and threatened to carry out agitation against the move.

“We are standing with our brothers. After we pursued the matter, the shops were opened. There is no business in the wake of the Covid-19. What will we do if shops are sealed?” he asked.

Members of the association then met Jalandhar Central MLA Rajinder Beri, Ravinder Dhir of Traders Forum and Mayor Jagdish Raja.

A meeting was held and officials of the town planning wing decided to give 10 days time to those shopkeepers whose shops were sealed to prove that their shops existed before implementation of the Master Plan, failing which the MC would be free to take further action.

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