Civic body’s efforts fail to yield results

Despite several drives to remove encroachments from the city's oldest market, Sadar Bazar, the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has failed in all its efforts.

Despite several drives to remove encroachments from the city's oldest market, Sadar Bazar, the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has failed in all its efforts.

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Civic body officials said getting an area encroachment-free is a major challenge as encroachers reclaim the space hours after being removed. Besides, the protesters put up a tough fight, which sometimes turns ugly.

The anti-encroachment drive was being carried out by junior-level officials of the urban local body with no police assistance.

On April 26, the MCG carried out a well-planned extensive drive to remove encroachments. A special meeting was called by MCG commissioner Ashok Sangwan, which was also attended by senior police officials, to execute the drive effectively. However, hours after the drive was carried out, encroachments came back.

A month ago, the MCG had demarcated a space in front of shops in Sadar Bazar by drawing lines in yellow paint which signified that no shopkeeper could put up stalls beyond that point.

However, that did not prove effective even though the civic body had challaned several offenders.

The absence of a concerted drive involving all departments has also failed the anti-encroachment drives of other agencies in Gurgaon.

On May 14, the department of town and country planning failed to carry out a drive that it had planned at Bhondsi village as police assistance was not provided.