Mohali MC cracks down on encroachments, issues 45 challans

Mohali municipal corporation enforcement teams went around Phases 3B2, 7 and 9, and Sectors 67 and 68, and slapped challans on those found encroaching upon footpaths and corridors

Launching action against encroachments along roads and in markets, the enforcement wing of the Mohali municipal corporation (MC) on Thursday issued 45 challans to roadside hawkers and shopkeepers who had displayed their products in market corridors.

Staff from Mohali MC’s enforcement wing issuing challans to violators on Thursday. (HT Photo)

Enforcement teams went around Phases 3B2, 7 and 9, and Sectors 67 and 68, and slapped challans on those found encroaching upon footpaths and corridors. Fines were imposed as per the area encroached.

Meanwhile, MC’s sanitation wing also raided various places in Phases 3B2, 6, 7, 9 and 10, and Sectors 67 and 68, where they issued challans to 100 shopkeepers and vendors for littering, using banned single-use plastic and unhygienic conditions.

“Public paths, footpaths, open spaces, parks, corridors, streets and roads cannot be permitted to be encroached upon,” said MC commissioner Navjot Kaur. She said repeated warnings were issued to violators to remove temporary encroachments, following which action was taken.

Residents welcomed the action. “GMADA and MC should take similar action against street food outlets operating behind the Phase 3B2 market, which leads to traffic chaos and their customers can often be found consuming liquor in their vehicles,” said Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Phase 3B2.

Meanwhile, the town vending committee in a meeting declared areas that witness heavy traffic due encroachments as no vending zones.

The move may end the ordeal of residents of Phases 10 and 11, where fruit, vegetable, coconut and juice vendors have encroached upon footpaths, leading to chaos during rush hours.

Dr Maninder Kaur, president of Area Social Welfare Association, Phase 11, and one of the residents who had approached the Punjab and Haryana high court against the encroachments in the area, said, “Street vendors and shopkeepers have brazenly encroached upon roads and corridors. This is complete failure of local authorities, be it MC, police or the administration.”