Anger over ‘selective’ civic cleanup in Hisar

Hisar: A sweeping anti-encroachment drive here has triggered allegations of double standards after a prominent civic group accused the very govt officials enforcing the law of occupying public land illegally.The Madad Welfare Society has filed a formal complaint with the deputy commissioner, demanding an impartial inquiry and quick demolition of unauthorised structures allegedly erected outside the homes of bureaucrats. It claimed that while municipal teams had been clearing public pathways in compliance with court orders, enforcement had targeted ordinary citizens and spared civil servants.The society alleged that officials living in the elite Sector 13 and Urban Estate-2 neighbourhoods had built private ramps, sheds, and walls on govt property, effectively converting public walkways and parking zones into private land. "If encroachments by ordinary citizens are illegal, then officials must not be exempt," society president Sanjeev Bhojraj said.He said: "Selective enforcement undermines the credibility of the administration and fuels public resentment." The civic group sought an independent audit of govt-allocated housing areas to remove all illegal structures and prevent officials from leveraging their positions to bypass urban planning laws.MSID:: 131178374 413 |