Jalandhar: Residents of areas adjoining Latifpura demand eviction of protesters from road

The two-and-a-half-year-old issue of demolition of houses of occupants at Latifpura by the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) which had been lying low once again was raked up on Friday as residents of all adjoining colonies came up demanding clearing of the road passage.

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Ever since the demolition by JIT officials in December 2022, the road in front of houses has not yet been cleared. The occupants whose houses were demolished have put up tents there to protest. Debris, half-razed constructions continue to keep the proposed road passage choked much to the disappointment of residents of several colonies all around.

Today, a joint action committee of all these colonies, including residents of Model Town, Shiv Vihar, Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, Mithapur, the PPR Market area and the Curo Mall area and committee members of nearby gurdwaras and temples gathered at the site and demanded that the road be cleared immediately.

They called on JIT Chairperson Rajwinder Kaur Thiara and presented her a memorandum of their demands. Lucky Oberoi, who led the joint action committee, said residents of the area had been facing daily traffic congestion as the road had not been cleared.

Court hearing on July 29

At the back of the whole narrative-building exercise that re-started today is the fact that the Punjab and Haryana High Court is set to hear the matter on July 29. "The state government and JIT officials perhaps want everything to be sorted out and some roadwork done before the next hearing," said a local leader.

“Our children get stuck in traffic jams while going to school for over half an hour every morning and afternoon. We face trouble while commuting during the peak office hours or rush time. We have sympathy for those who lost their dwellings, but this issue cannot be allowed to linger on. The road passage has to be cleared for the convenience of hundreds of families which pass through this route every day, said Oberoi.

Vijay Khullar of Geeta Mandir Society, Rajiv Duggal of Model Town Market and Lally Ghuman were among those who gathered at the site in support of the joint action committee. As the numbers of the residents from surrounding areas began to swell, the Latifpura occupants too spread mattresses and began dharna in middle of the road. A face-off between the two sides, however, was somehow prevented.

Thiara said, “The matter had to be buried after demolition as there had been a lot of hue and cry. We did not want to disturb the law and order situation. The government had offered occupants flats at another location. We did not leave them shelterless. But they have not accepted the offer. I will take up the matter with Punjab CM soon and try to get it resolved at the earliest.”