Admn admits laxity

The UT administration admitted its lapse in checking the encroachments by the Sector 38 West Gurdwara, where violence erupted during a demolition drive last week, and cracked the whip on its employees.

The UT administration on Tuesday admitted its lapse in checking the encroachments by the Sector 38 West Gurdwara, where violence erupted during a demolition drive last week, and cracked the whip on its employees.

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The administration chargesheeted Estate Office enforcement staff Sub-Inspector (SI) Bhopal Singh while sent recommendation to chargesheet Municipal Corporation Engineering Department Sub-Divisional Officer Sudesh Aggarwal and MC enforcement staff SI Naseeb Singh.

The DC, in a joint media briefing with UT Finance Secretary Sanjay Kumar and SSP S.S. Srivastava, said there was only one small room at the time of acquisition of Gurdwara Sant Sar Sahib area in 1999. The management encroached upon the adjoining government land, he said, blaming the enforcement staff officials for the full-fledged structure. The DC said the administration has not given any time to the gurdwara management even when they had submitted a representation.

When asked how much land in the city was encroached, the DC answered 200 acres. He said a survey in July-August 2005 revealed that there were 396 religious places in the UT, 194 in sectoral grid, 128 in villages and 74 in colonies. Out of the 194 religious places, the administration allotted 92 while the rest were unauthorised.