Chandigarh admn gives slum-dwellers two days to leave before razing Colony Number 4 - Hindustan Times
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Chandigarh admn gives slum-dwellers two days to leave before razing Colony Number 4

By, Chandigarh
Apr 22, 2022 02:13 AM IST

Chandigarh Estate Office personnel on Thursday made public announcements at the colony asking residents to remove their belongings

Moving ahead with its plan to carry out a demolition drive in Colony Number 4 to reclaim public land, the UT administration on Thursday directed the colony residents to remove their belongings and vacate the land before April 23.

Through public announcements, colony residents were told on Thursday to remove their belongings and vacate the land before April 23. (HT Photo)
Through public announcements, colony residents were told on Thursday to remove their belongings and vacate the land before April 23. (HT Photo)

Estate Office personnel on Thursday made public announcements at the colony asking residents to remove their belongings, as when the administration takes action against the illegal constructions, any damage to belongings will not be its responsibility.

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Earlier on February 15, the Estate Office had put up eviction notices at the colony and a nearby smaller hutment cluster, Sanjay Colony, stating, “This colony is illegal and will be demolished within two months. So, it is hereby ordered to vacate the same.”

The administration has been making repeated attempts to get the land vacated for more than three years. Around 10,000 slum-dwellers are estimated to be living in the colony.

Around 4,000 families have already been allotted flats at the Rehabilitation Colony in Maloya under the Chandigarh Small Flats Scheme 2006.

In a previous attempt to vacate the land in 2019, the administration had issued eviction notices, directing the residents to vacate the land within 21 days. But the demolition drive was never initiated due to Covid-19 pandemic and MC elections.

UT officials maintain that the process of resettlement of the eligible residents under the rehabilitation scheme has been completed, and proper procedures have been followed in terms of allowing time for vacating the land and issuing requisite notices.

“Most eligible slum-dwellers who were found eligible after the biometric survey conducted in 2006 have been rehabilitated,” said an official.

Significantly, the administration had set a deadline of March 2017 to make Chandigarh a slum-free city. In line with this, it had razed Colony Number 5, Mazdoor Colony, Kuldeep Colony, Pandit Colony, Nehru Colony, Ambedkar Colony, Kajheri Colony and Madrasi Colony.

But several small and big pockets of slums areas still remain.

Opposing the administration’s notice, a local resident and Aam Aadmi Party secretary Rajinder Yadav said, “We have tried to approach the administration on the issue for the past three months, but nobody has listened to us. We have only a day to decide on our strategy. It is grossly unfair towards the residents.”

Without specifying a date, deputy commissioner-cum-estate officer Vinay Pratap Singh said the demolition drive will be started soon.

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