Open House: What should be done to check mushrooming of encroachments in the industrial city Ludhiana?

Strict action should be taken by authorities

Encroachment is a major obstacle in the way of development of India as there are numerous affects of this problem. However, the anti-encroachment committee which was formed to reduce the number of encroachment cases in the city, has not even met for five years. The government should not ignore the issue and must take it seriously. Strict action should be taken against individuals or groups which enter anyone’s property unlawfully. Regular efforts to create awareness among the people, especially the uneducated, is a must.

Sakshat Bansal

QUESTION

Ludhiana district had recorded fifth highest accidental deaths in the country in 2021, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report. What should be done to check the rising accidents snuffing out precious lives?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to [email protected] by Thursday (September 8)

Careless attitude of authorities

Recently a news article published in this paper revealed the failure of the administrative set-up in the town, which is responsible for the periodic clearance of encroachments. It was also highlighted that a single mandatory meeting of the supervisory panel was not held in the last 5 years. This kind of attitude of the authorities is unacceptable. The police should work with the authorities concerned to prevent encroachment. Officials should be held accountable and penalties imposed, if they fail to act promptly. People should not skip their civil duties and obey the rules of the land.

Sukhdev Sharma

Special task force need of the hour

Various scams have been unearthed in the construction of illegal colonies in the city but the authorities concerned seem to lack courage in taking firm action against the defaulters. In fact, the law on such pursuits is well in place, but the implementation is wanting. In order to curb the menace, the authorities must constitute a special task force to keep a check on construction of illegal colonies and ensure that the guilty do not go free.

To stop the menace of illegal construction of colonies, there is a need to take stern action and punish the defaulters severely.

Khushpreet Kaur

A menace to urban development

Observing that mushrooming of illegal colonies across the country is a menace to urban development, the Supreme Court on last Monday said there was a need for a comprehensive action plan by state governments to prevent them from coming up.

Encroachments should be dealt with in a smooth way. If an area is used for planting trees, no space should be allowed for encroachment. In order to tackle the problem, the state government should form the enforcement teams. These teams should be given special powers. Encroachers must be heavily fined and sent for long term imprisonment.

Tanveer Kaur

MC should ensure regular inspections

To tackle the issue of illegal encroachments, skill training and vocational courses must be made available for hawkers and other people who earn their livelihood on a daily basis but do not have a permanent place of business and thus encroach upon the busy markets of the town. Alternative spaces to such persons on lease basis should be allotted and heavy penalties must be imposed on persons encroaching on the areas of the town. Regular patrolling by the Municipal Corporation teams for vigilance and inspection of crowded places would also help to resolve the matter to a certain extent.

Shruti Saggar

Punitive action need of the hour

Illegal encroachments have become so common in the city that one can hardly commute on the roads with freedom of movement and ease. In some places the areas encroached by goods, building of illegal structures or display boards occupy a third of the road. The authorities take half-hearted measures which amount to nothing in the long run. Only consistent action and strict punitive measures will help in clearing the encroachments.

Dr Ashwani Kumar Malhotra

All properties must be registered

Anti-encroachment monitoring committee of civic body should take into account the growing issue of encroachments in city. Proper measures should be taken by the authorities to combat the problem. Lands and other properties belonging to individuals should be registered and verified by the authorities. Documents incorporating information regarding the ownership of land should be properly managed. There should be a strict vigil on such individuals who indulge themselves in illegal activities. The civic body should check the encroached areas and penalties should be imposed on defaulters to prevent the problem.

Gurleen Kaur

Change members of committee

The Municipal Corporation is responsible for the rampant encroachments in the city, especially in the market places. It is sad that as per a report in the newspaper, the encroachment committee of the corporation has not met for over five years to discuss the matter and to take remedial measures. The members of the panel must be changed immediately and a new sub-group reconstituted with more enthusiastic members. A couple of members must be drawn from the city. Every possible effort must be made to change the condition of poor management of encroachments. The encroachments in the main market places cause great hindrance to the people and vehicles there. Roads get blocked, giving a very poor and mismanaged show. The shopkeepers who encroach upon the place must be fined and for this, a record must be maintained. All this will also mean more income to the corporation. In stopping and punishing the encroachers, help of the police must be sought wherever needed and culprits should be punished.

Gautam Dev

Take stringent action against offenders

The mushrooming of illegal colonies continues unabated in and around Ludhiana. To check mushrooming illegal encroachments in the industrial city, the administrative authorities should inspect all areas with a proper strategy, so that strict legal action can be taken against offenders. A survey should be done by the Municipal Corporation to ensure that no one has occupied public property. To curb the menace of illegal colonies, there is a need to abolish corruption.

Adish Sood

Cooperate with administration

Illegal shops, houses and other structures have come up in a big way in most of the areas of the city. This has been possible only with the connivance of the politician or the building authorities. Most of the roads have been occupied by roadside vendors and the commuters are put to great inconvenience. The shopkeepers in the busy markets are keeping their stuff outside the shops and blocking the roads resulting in traffic chaos. Further, the vehicle parking on narrow roads is making the situation even worse for commuters. Overloaded carts and pick-up vans can be seen blocking the roads. Therefore, conducting anti-encroachment drives frequently is the need of the day but demolitions should be carried out after following the due process. A joint team (squad) of officials of MC, administration and the police should conduct the anti-encroachment drive. First notices should be served and people should be requested to remove the encroachments. If they fail to do so, FIRs should be lodged against the violators and the squad should remove the encroachments. People should cooperate with the authorities as the purpose of removing the encroachments is to make the roads chaos free.

RS SEMBHI

Cause unwanted trouble to residents

Encroachments eat up the space for vehicles and pedestrians, causing inconvenience to public. This leads to rise in accident cases in the city. Not only the anti-encroachment monitoring committee should meet periodically but also give exemplary punishment to the defaulters. It should act on the proverb ‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’. Alternative arrangements should be made for the street vendors and hawkers.

Dr Sunil Chopra

Establish cell to receive complaints

City roads, pavements, streets and markets are encroached by shopkeepers, hawkers and for other social or religious functions. This leads to traffic jams and inconvenience to commuters in moving freely. Prime locations are being encroached under the nose of the local government. Sometimes government officials have to stop encroachment operations due to political interference. The Municipal Corporation should allocate separate space for hawkers. The Municipal Corporation must also establish a separate cell to receive complaints online by residents against encroachers. Sudden visits must be carried out in different areas to check encroachment. There must be regular visits to each area to check the encroachments. The charge must be given to private agencies to avoid political interference as it is given in the case of tow away vehicles by traffic police. Heavy fines should be imposed upon encroachers. People should cooperate with the local government in this mission.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui

Anti-encroachment panel accountable

Encroachment on public spaces by unlawful structures is so common in Ludhiana that it creates traffic congestion, road fatalities and environmental degradation. Despite the existence of an anti-encroachment monitoring body, the statute is dormant because it has failed to function as a deterrent to encroachment. The mushrooming of encroachments with impunity suggests that civic body officials work hand in hand with encroachers. People must recognise that it is unethical and illegal to infringe on public land and build anything on it. The civic body’s higher-ups should hold the anti-encroachment committee accountable and be stern with defaulters. Encroachments on walkways, streets, and roads, among other areas, should be treated with zero tolerance.

Novin Christopher

Rope in police to check the menace

Poor monitoring of encroachments and lack of timely intervention by field staff has led to unchecked mushrooming of a number of slums in different parts of the city over the years. Stopping any new encroachments is the responsibility of the Municipal Corporation. The administration should rope in the police to check encroachments in the city. Unless there is some comprehensive action plan to prevent these encroachments from coming up the problem will continue.

Rekha Singla

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