Latifpura families faced govt atrocities: Vijay Sampla

Jalandhar, December 21

Terming the demolition at the Latifpura locality here ‘sarkari atyachar’ (atrocities at the hands of the government), Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Vijay Sampla today met the victims, who have lost their houses.

He said he was horrified to see the plight of the people.

Sampla met a few Dalit families who told him that they were being pressured by the police on not meeting him.

Officials should have negotiated

Even if there were orders, there is always a way to execute such orders. The officials should have met the people and negotiated with them and asked them about their alternative arrangements for shelter. Vijay Sampla

Sampla asked DC Jaspreet Singh how many families were affected due to the drive and how many of those belonged to the Scheduled Castes. The DC informed the Chairman that the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) was not providing any data on the matter despite repeated reminders.

He told the DC and Commissioner of Police S Bhoopati to ask the Dalit families to meet him at the Circuit House, but no one turned up. Agitated, Sampla ordered the officials concerned to summon the Chief Secretary, the Secretary Local Bodies and DC, CP, Municipal Corporation Commissioner and Executive Officer of the JIT at the commission headquarters in New Delhi on January 10.

“The officials should have met the people and negotiated with them and asked them about their alternate arrangements for shelter. If they did not have any provision, the government should have first given them some place and then gone ahead to execute the court orders,” Sampla said.

Reaction to the statement of Sampla of calling it a case of government atrocity, JIT Chairman Jagtar Singh Sanghera said, “I think it is a political statement. We were facing contempt of court on the matter and were asked to give a compliance report.”

On data regarding the number of families and Dalits among them, Sanghera said, “We do not have a caste-related data. The DC has served as the Chairman of JIT before my joining and was well aware of the case. He provided me with 14 duty magistrates to take the action”.