E-Paper
MC’s anti-encroachment drive: 29 FIRs registered
Police chief warns of cancelling passports and arms licences of the defaulters
A day after shopkeepers were served notices to remove encroachments, a police team along with officials of the municipal corporation (MC) on Wednesday carried out an anti-encroachment drive in the city.
The shopkeepers found encroaching upon the passage towards Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMC&H) were told to remove their stock kept outside the shops.
A police team led by assistant commissioner of police (ACP) (central) Waryam Singh and station house officer (SHO) of Division 2 police station Surinder Chopra carried out the drive from JMD Mall towards Subhani Building Chowk.
The encroachments were also removed at Shahpur Road. A team of civic body officials carried out the drive at Field Gunj and removed the encroachments from Bearing Market near Jagraon Bridge.
While some activists of the Rehri Phari union opposed the move by terming it illegal, the residents of the area hailed the action taken by the MC.
A resident of Field Gunj Gaurav Gupta said, “This is a good move taken up by the MC and police officials.”
Jhonson Masih, a resident of Ishwar Nagar said that the shopkeepers keep their stock on the roads leaving less space for visitors to park their vehicles. This causes traffic congestion.”
Encroachments at Field Gunj have always remained a hot topic of debate. On several occasions, the matter was raised at general house meeting of the civic body.
Area councillor Gurdeep Singh Nittu, during a general house meeting held last year said that the roads leading towards CMC Hospital have turned into death traps due to rampant encroachments.
Nittu said that he had brought the matter to the MC’s notice but to no avail.
The representatives of the Rehri Phari union handed over a memorandum to deputy commissioner Pradeep Agrawal and urged him to stop the anti-encroachment drive. The union members threatened strike if their demands will not be met. Terming the police action as illegal, union leader Balkrishan Pappi said, “The MC authorities as well as area MLA had promised dedicated vending zones, which are yet to materialize. Hence, their action against us is illegal and we will protest against the move,” said Pappi.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP- I) Gurpreet Singh Sikand said notices have been served to shopkeepers found encroaching upon the roads. He took a round of the markets and met the members of various market associations as well as the visitors who welcomed the move.
“Nearly 400 notices were served a week ago urging people to remove their encroachments. While several shopkeepers removed their encroachment voluntarily, action was taken against those who did not abide by the orders. Seven cases have been registered in Kotwali area so far as the drive is being carried out on BL Kapur Hospital-Sabzi Mandi road,” he added.
Police commissioner Rakesh Agrawal also carried out an inspection after the drive.
