Mohali MC chief orders probe after allegations of nexus between officials, illegal vendors

Municipal corporation commissioner Navjot Kaur has ordered an inquiry after former deputy mayor of Mohali Manjit Singh Sethi on Thursday levelled allegations against four employees of the Municipal Corporation for allegedly taking ₹25,000 per zone per month for allowing illegal vendors in the city

The municipal corporation commissioner Navjot Kaur has ordered an inquiry after former deputy mayor of Mohali Manjit Singh Sethi on Thursday levelled allegations against four employees of the Municipal Corporation for allegedly taking ₹25,000 per zone per month for allowing illegal vendors in the city. Sethi made the allegations during the general house meeting held on Thursday.

Encroachment in Mohali markets has become a serious issue and has been debated several times in house meetings, but the civic body has completely failed to tackle this. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

He said, there are four zones in the city and he even named the employees in the house and alleged that they are collecting ₹1 lakh per month from the illegal vendors in four zones and allowing them place in the market. “We have to find out, to whom the money is further distributed,” he said.

Responding to the allegations, Municipal Corporation commissioner Navjot said, “I have already ordered an inquiry and after the report, strict action will be taken against them. We will not tolerate any of these practices in the civic body,” she said.

Encroachment in markets has become a serious issue and has been debated several times in house meetings, but the civic body has completely failed to tackle this. The enforcing authority has failed to stop the illegal vendors operating from the main markets of the city. The worst-hit are Phases 7, 3B1, 3B2, 9, 10, and 11.

The four zones include – zone one :Phase-1,2,4,5 and 6, villages Shahimajra, Madanpura and Mohali, area, Zone 2 includes Phase-3-A, 3B1, 3B2, 7, Sector 70,71 and industrial area, Phase-7,8,8-A, 8-B and village Mataur.

Zone 3 includes, Phase-8,9,10,11, Sector 48-C, 65-A, 66-A, 66,67,68,69, village Kumbra and Industrial area, Phase-9, while zone-4 will include Sectors 76 to 80 and village Sohana .