Encroachment regularisation withdrawn

LUDHIANA: Due to an increase in problems faced by shopkeepers in Chaura Bazaar area, local bodies department has cancelled the proposal which was sent by municipal corporation (MC) House wherein the House had given a nod for regularizing alleged encroachments in Chaura Bazaar. During hearing of the case wherein the high court asked MC to remove encroachments from the city, the court asked MC to take final decision on encroachments.
Following which, the general House of MC in March had passed a proposal in the house meeting for regularization of the 2.5feet encroachments done by shopkeepers in Chaura Bazaar area.
However, the special secretary of the local bodies department Praveen Kumar Thind has cancelled the proposal sent by general house of MC. In the letter issued to MC, Thind said that Chaura Bazaar is situated in Old City and it is a densely-populated area, and encroachments cannot be allowed here. Meanwhile, shopkeepers said that if action is taken, they would launch a protest since the area had been as the area was covered after getting into an agreement with MC. Chairman of Chaura Bazaar shopkeepers association Somnath Grover said they are tenants and possess MC receipts showing they have paid rent for covering 2.5 feet area. He said that permission had been obtained from MC and MC had also sent this information to the local bodies department.
He said that since the local bodies department has cancelled the proposal, they are left with no option but to protest against wrongdoings against the shopkeepers.
Mayor Harcharan Singh Gohalwaria said they would again take up the issue with the higher authorities as he has come to know that the officials might not have taken up the matter properly with the senior officials in the local bodies department.