Remove illegal encroachments on public roads, civic body land, demands NGO

Tribune News Service

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, March 15

Office-bearers and other members of the NGO- ‘Helpline-In Service to Humanity’ on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to MC officials for the removal of illegal encroachments on the public roads and municipal lands.

The members, led by state president Ashok Sharma, said in the majority of the markets, the shopkeepers had encroached upon the road by placing their stuff or advertisements boards. Even the traffic police personnel are finding it hard to deal with the situation.

“Apart from the shopkeepers, the fruit and vegetables vendors sit at any spot of their choice due to which very little space is left for commuters. Due to mismanagement and chaos, the residents are suffering while the authorities concerned have turned a blind eye to the issue,” he rued.

Sharma said the Punjab and Haryana High Court had a suo moto notice in a 2003 case titled as ‘Court on its own motion V/s State of Punjab’ and another one regarding the encroachments, construction on government lands and municipal lands. He said the court, in its order issued on October 4, 2008, had issued some guidelines for the removal of the encroachments within six months from the passing of the order.

“In addition, the court had also held that if a public-spirited person notices that any encroachment is not being removed or being allowed to take place then he or she shall be at liberty to institute contempt of court proceedings against such persons or municipal authorities for their act of willful and deliberate disobedience of the directions,” he added.

He appealed to the MC authorities to initiate anti-encroachment drives in the city at regular intervals and take strict action against the encroachers. Besides, they should also ensure that nobody is allowed to make encroachments on all public lands including those falling in the municipal areas or else they have to move to the High Court to get rid of these illegal encroachments, he added.

Sharma, with the vice-chairman of the NGO, Navjot Singh, and its vice-president, Ram Chhabra, also handed over a list of such roads and areas where traffic jams are common due to the encroachments.

In the list, they mentioned the road from Shastri Market Chowk to Kamal Palace Chowk and from Shastri Market Chowk to Ladowali Road (where the shopkeepers have encroached upon the public land by putting their stuffs 10-15 feet on the public place and they used to repair the vehicles of their customers on the middle of the main road), Shastri Market Chowk to Clock Tower Chowk, Alaska Chowk, Madan Flour Mill Chowk, Partap Bagh and Ladowali road (wherein the ragmen of old car spare parts have encroached upon the public roads).