Encroachment issue rocks Foswac meet

CHANDIGARH: The UT estate office’s inaction against encroachment upon commercial areas and its giving almost a free hand to roadside vendors to grab land wherever they please have come up for criticism. This issue was raised in the Federation of Sector Welfare Associations of Chandigarh (Foswac) meeting here on Saturday in the presence of Sachin Rana, additional deputy commissioner of the UT estate office.
During the meeting, various members said the the UT estate office should take timely action against all encroachment in the city. Foswac president Baljinder Singh Bittu complained about “little or no action by the UT estate office to remove encroachments in commercial areas of the city”. Sachin Rana, ADC, UT estate office said that he will launch special drives of enforcement department in the various areas of the city and take action on the violators.

OP Verma, president of Sector 20, residents welfare association (RWA) raised an issue of mushrooming of dhabas in Azad Market where permission of 12 eateries were given and at present 40 are running in the market. He said that various memorandums were given to the UT deputy commissioner about the issue but till date no action is taken by the concerned department.
Pardeep Chopra, a representative of the residents from Sector 21, said that for the pedestrians, it has become greatly difficult to visit the prominent markets of Sector 19, 20 and 22 due to encroachment uopon the corridors. He said that “The UT estate office has power to issue notice if the shopkeepers allow any encroachment outside their shops. The traders can be challaned by the estate office.” Raising the question, he said that the UT estate office should apply the rulebook.
RESIDENTS WORRRIED: Foswac meeting in progress in Sector 8