Bhagwant Mann govt buckles, to allot flats to demolition-hit needy Jalandhar residents

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, December 14

Buckling under mounting pressure from the Opposition, social activists and farmers, who have been supporting the Latifpura families who lost their dwellings on Friday last, the state government finally announced allotment of vacant two-bedroom flats to some genuinely needy families in other areas.

Will extend all help: JIT chairman

We, too, are pained to see the poor families who have gone shelterless because of our action. But we were dutybound due to the court order…we will go all out to help them. Jagtar Singh Sanghera, JIT Chairman

The announcement was formally made by Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) Chairman Jagtar Singh Sanghera, AAP Jalandhar West MLA Sheetal Angural and Jalandhar Central MLA Raman Arora in Chandigarh on Wednesday. They said they had held a meeting with the administrative and JIT officials in Jalandhar on Tuesday after which they met Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann before making the final announcement.

Sharing details of the decision on phone, Angural said, “The JIT has 131 vacant flats in the scheme areas of Bibi Bhani Complex and Mai Bhago Complex along Amritsar bypass. In all, we have 186 flats in both the schemes, of which only 55 could be allotted and the remaining are unoccupied. We will give flats to the poor families of Latifpura. In a few days, we will complete all the official formalities and will escort them to their new houses.”

Asked as to how many of the total shelterless families could be beneficiary of the rehabilitation scheme, Angural said, “Since there were 27 persons who were in litigation with the JIT against its eviction orders, nearly five to seven are quite rich and own kothis in Model Town. There are others who had purchased properties illegally from the previous occupants. We will do a survey and offer flats to the genuine beneficiaries. Their number might even be 18 or 22, it does not really matter to us”.

Notably, these flats are more than 10 km away from Latifpura area near Verka Milk Plant and are currently not in a good shape. They may even require some repair work before actual shifting. Sanghera said, “We, too, are pained to see the poor families who have gone shelterless because of our action.

But we were dutybound as the court had directed us to ensure 100 per cent eviction in the encroached property. We had started demolition from bigger houses but had to eventually pull down even smaller dwellings. I have all my sympathies for such families and will go all out to help them and get a constructed house very soon.”

Leaders, including SAD chief Sukhbir Badal and SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami, among others, have visited the site in the past few days. Khalsa Aid has helped the families set up tents. Farmer associations have been holding a pucca morcha for the families. Leader of Opposition Partap Bajwa and PCC chief Amarinder S Raja Warring have issued statements in favour seeking a rehabilitation plan for them.