The Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal has decided to move court against the municipal corporation over the change of land use (CLU) notices being served to shopkeepers in the city by the civic body.
Members of the Beopar Mandal held a meeting with their legal adviser, advocate Harish Rai Dhanda, on Thursday. They said that they will move on roads and file a petition in court, but not allow the MC to collect CLU chargers from shopkeepers wrongfully.
On Wednesday, shopkeepers of Ghumar Mandi had staged a protest against the civic body after two shops were sealed for non-payment of CLU charges. The shopkeepers said that notices are being served to shops which were established even before the CLU norms existed.
President of the Ghumar Mandi Shopkeepers’ Association, Pawan Batra, said CLU charges have to be collected before the shop is constructed. “Now, when shopkeepers have got the registry done at commercial rates, and are paying property tax, the MC is also demanding CLU charges, which is not acceptable. The shopkeepers are already reeling under losses due to the ongoing pandemic and the MC is adding to their woes,” Batra said.
General secretary of the Beopar Mandal, Sunil Mehra, said,”We have decided to move court against the civic body and meetings are also being held with different associations. We met advocate Dhanda on Thursday to look into the legalities. A petition will be filed soon. The shopkeepers in the entire city are against the decision of MC to collect CLU charges and if required, we would also move on roads.”
{{/usCountry}}General secretary of the Beopar Mandal, Sunil Mehra, said,”We have decided to move court against the civic body and meetings are also being held with different associations. We met advocate Dhanda on Thursday to look into the legalities. A petition will be filed soon. The shopkeepers in the entire city are against the decision of MC to collect CLU charges and if required, we would also move on roads.”
{{/usCountry}}Factionalism has again come to the fore among Congress leaders in the city.
Congress councillor of Ward Number 76, Gurpreet Gogi, slammed mayor Balkar Sandhu and MC for adopting pick and choose policy while taking action against shopkeepers for non-payment of CLU charges. Gogi alleged that he had raised voice against the “illegal” action being taken by MC, and the officials, working on the directions of the mayor, had commenced the drive from his ward because of this.
Gogi and shopkeepers of the Ghumar Mandi area had conducted a meeting with the mayor and MC officials in the middle of September and opposed the move by the MC. after two shops were sealed on October 5. MC has served notices against around 2,300 shops situated in different parts of the city. Despite attempts to reach mayor Balkar Sandhu, he was not available for comments.