Mohali: With the MC demolition drive conspicuously sparing houses of VIPs, senior officers and politicians in Phase 7, the civic body was again accused of selective action.The MC had asserted that no encroachment on govt land would be spared, irrespective of the status of the violators. However, during the demolition drive in Phase 7, residents alleged that the civic body failed to act against illegal structures outside residences of high-profile individuals, drawing sharp criticism from the local community.Although most residents did not obstruct the drive, several voiced their resentment, accusing the MC of again sparing politicians and VIPs residing in Phase 7. They alleged that demolition teams selectively targeted common people, overlooking encroachments made by influential persons.Responding to the allegations, MC commissioner Parminder Pal Singh maintained that the drive was being conducted strictly in accordance with the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court. “We are acting as per the high court’s orders and no one will be spared. The demolition was announced to begin from ‘B’ roads, followed by market areas, before moving into the inner roads. Today, we cleared encroachments from ‘B’ roads of Phase 7. Any encroachment on govt land will be removed, irrespective of who the encroacher is,” the commissioner said.Meanwhile, local councillor Anuradha Anand appealed to residents to voluntarily remove encroachments from govt land to avoid penalties and coercive action by the MC.The demolition drive largely remained peaceful. While minor resistance was reported at a few locations during the operation, no major law and order situation was reported.Questioning the efficiency and impartiality of the MC, Ranjit Singh, a resident of Phase 7, said, “It appears that the high court’s orders are meant only for the common man and not for VIPs. Even today, the MC teams skipped encroachments outside houses of high-profile people in the area.”The MC however, maintains that more is yet to come. Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh said that the civic body would launch a continuous anti-encroachment drive across Mohali from Jan 19. He also said that any illegal structure found on govt land during the operation would be removed without further notice.The MC commissioner cautioned that if any damage was caused to the property of encroachers during the removal process, the responsibility would lie entirely with them. He made it clear that after the removal of encroachments, the MC would issue notices to violators and recover expenses incurred during the operation, strictly in accordance with rules and legal provisions.Parminder Pal Singh reiterated that the drive was being carried out in strict compliance with the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court, which categorically ordered removal of illegal encroachments from residential, commercial and industrial areas, as well as from parks, roads, footpaths as well as all categories of govt land falling within the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation. MC Denies Bias ClaimResidents claim illegal structures outside VIPs’ and politicians’ houses were spared Civic body had asserted that no encroachment on govt land would be spared, regardless of status MC commissioner Parminder Pal Singh denies bias, says action strictly follows Punjab & Haryana high court orders He says any encroachment on govt land will be removed, irrespective of the encroacher Demolition sequence: B-roads first, followed by market areas, then inner roads Local councillor Anuradha Anand urges residents to voluntarily clear encroachments to avoid penalties What’s nextMC announces continuous anti-encroachment drive across Mohali starting Jan 19 Commissioner warns that damage to property during removal will be the encroacher’s responsibility MC to issue notices and recover costs of demolition from violators as per rules.MSID:: 126690437 413 |
