Allottees meet Jalandhar Improvement Trust chairman, submit memo

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 7

Allottees of three housing schemes - Indra Puram Master Gurbanta Singh Enclave, Bibi Bhani Complex and Surya Enclave Extension - met Jagtar Singh Sanghera, chairman of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT), at the Trust office near Sky Lark Chowk here today. They handed over a memorandum to him demanding the release of their outstanding dues amounting to Rs 23 crore.

The allottees expressed frustration over the persistent failure of the Trust to adhere to directives from the district, state and national consumer commissions regarding the refund of their money. The cumulative sum of Rs 23 crore includes the principal amount, interest and compensation as ordered by the consumer commissions after the Trust lost cases to the allottees.

Darshan Ahuja, an allottee from Bibi Bhani Complex, while appealing for the release of dues, said they had been struggling to get justice for over a decade. He highlighted the poor condition state of these housing schemes, plagued by illegal encroachment by migrants and anti-social elements.

“We had a meeting with the JIT chairman in July and in November. The chairman had promised that our dues would be cleared by December 25, but nothing happened. Today, we again came to seek our dues. As usual, the meeting was inconclusive and we were given an assurance that our dues would be cleared before April 24,” he said.

Manohar Lal Sehgal, another allottee, said being a senior citizen, he was forced to make frequent visits to the JIT office and courts in pursuit of his hard-earned investment. Over a decade had passed, but neither the previous nor the present government had shown any willingness to deliver justice. “We demand that the JIT must clear our dues shortly and compensate all allottees,” he said.

He said on one side, the government is holding camps saying “Sarkar Tuhade Dwar” while on the other senior citizens like him were forced to make visits to the JIT office seeking refund of their own money. “A large number of senior citizens have already lost their lives while struggling to get justice, and many of us are now already 65+. All we hope is that we get justice before anything happens to us”, he said.

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