Already in the bad books of the SAD councillors for various anomalies in its functioning, the Amritsar municipal corporation (MC) on Saturday again earned their ire by demolishing a shop of an Akali councillor in Lakkar Mandi area near the Golden Temple.
The incident occurred on Friday morning when a team of the town planning wing of the MC razed the shop in the name of taking action against illegal edifices.
Angered over the incident, the SAD councillors and workers held a demonstration outside Jallianwala Bagh on Saturday.
The protesting councillors charged a local BJP councillor with involvement in the matter. The protest lasted for about a couple of hours, during which angry SAD councillors and workers raised slogans against local bodies minister Anil Joshi and the MC authorities.
The protestors decried the MC for choosing just one shop in the name of action against illegal edifices and alleged that the shop was demolished without serving a prior notice to the owner. “The MC should explain why just one shop was chosen for demolition. The MC should explain whether the shop was illegal, what about other shops situated right next to this one,” said Surinder Singh Sultanwind, a SAD councillor.
He added that if the MC was serious about undertaking the drive against illegal edifices, it should have demolished all illegally constructed shops in the locality. “We have asked for clarification from the MC in this regard,” said Sultanwind.
{{/usCountry}}He added that if the MC was serious about undertaking the drive against illegal edifices, it should have demolished all illegally constructed shops in the locality. “We have asked for clarification from the MC in this regard,” said Sultanwind.
{{/usCountry}}He said the protesting councillors approached the MC authorities to register a complaint in this connection and were assured suitable action after March 24.
When contacted, municipal commissioner Pradeep Sabharwal said as the entire machinery of the MC was busy preparing for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city on March 23, the matter would be inquired into duly after March 24. “The senior town planner (STP) has been directed to look into the matter. Action will be taken against the officials responsible for demolishing the shop,” he said.