Demolition of smugglers’ houses draws flak
The recent decision by the civic authorities to demolish houses of alleged smugglers has come under severe criticism from several quarters.
Last week’s action of the municipal authorities in Batala and Sujanpur to use bulldozers to pull down “illegal” structures proves the drive is going on full throttle, notwithstanding the pan-India guidelines issued by the Supreme Court last year.
Similar demolitions are also taking place in other cities of the state. A PIL has also been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the implementation of SC guidelines. In fact, the Batala MC, at the insistence of the cops, has prepared a list of eight more houses that will be demolished soon. The logic given by the police is that “demolitions are the only way to stop smuggling”.
Officials are acting in a selective manner. “There are hundreds of people in the state who have built their houses on encroached land. Why do the civic authorities not wield the axe against them? In Pathankot, where construction has been banned within 1,000 m from defence installations, there are hundreds of illegally built houses. Why was action not taken when these houses were constructed in the first place?” said an angry police officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Obviously, he is at variance with his own department’s official line.
Residents point out that if there is one smuggler in a joint family, officials are rendering the entire family homeless just because of the fault of one person. The SC had said, “If his (smuggler’s) spouse, children, parents live in the same house or co-own the same property, can they be penalised by demolishing the property without them even being involved in any crime?”
Police officers covertly admit that the “Yudh Nashiyan Virudh” will not be won by razing houses “but it can be won only after the government develops some technology to stop drones coming in from Pakistan every day, each carrying several kg pure-grade heroin.”
Sources say the cops are under tremendous pressure from their seniors to show results in the “war against drugs”. “This is one reason why we are going in for drastic steps,” said an SSP-rank officer.
