Demolition drives stuck as Gurgaon cops refuse to help

In the absence of police support, the district town planning department’s enforcement wing once again failed to go forward with demolition drives in various parts of the district on Tuesday.

In the absence of police support, the district town planning department’s enforcement wing once again failed to go forward with demolition drives in various parts of the district on Tuesday.

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“This was the second time in a row that the police did not provide us the assistance. We are disappointed and fail to understand why the police withdrew support in the eleventh hour,” said Anil Dabas, district town planner (DTP), enforcement, adding that encroachment was a major concern.

“We had planned the demolition drive nearly a week ago and informed the Gurgaon police with details of the sites. We were supposed to remove unauthorised constructions in Garhi Harsaru, Sadhrana and Hayatpur,” said Dabas.

Earlier, on May 10, the enforcement wing failed to conduct the drive at Bhondsi village for similar reasons. The district town planning department’s enforcement wing had submitted its demolition plan for the month to the Gurgaon deputy commissioner, PC Meena, who had asked the Gurgaon police to provide assistance to the project after a meeting on May 6.

According to the DTP enforcement wing, police assistance is a must in demolition drives to avoid direct clash with local people. “Many times in the past we had to return without carrying out the drive in absence of police assistance. We had no idea that the police would withdraw its support at the last minute. We kept waiting for the police till 12.30pm on Tuesday,” said a senior Gurgaon administration official, appointed as duty magistrate.

The enforcement department has to carry out as many as six days of demolition drives this month alone, out of which two have failed already.