LIT removes encroachments

LUDHIANA: The Ludhiana improvement trust (LIT) finally took possession of its prime 8.80 acre of land even as former Akali minister Jagdish Singh Garcha engaged the officials in a verbal duel. LIT���s drive was following orders of Punjab and Haryana High Court in November 2008 refusing stay on the acquisition of land by LIT for housing scheme.
LIT officers under the leadership of deputy director local bodies department AK Sikka who is also LIT���s land acquisition collector reached the site that was originally meant for the construction of multi storey housing scheme in the afternoon.As soon as the team reached the spot the ditch machines and the officers accompanying Sikka removed the alleged illegal fencing and boundary walls.
The team also removed illegal structures like permanent houses built by migrant labourers. The LIT officers rapidly removed all the illegal structures and the entire drive was completed within an hour. However, as soon as former minster and senior akali leader Garcha received information about the drive he arrived on the spot with his supporters. A visibly perturbed former minister had heated arguments with the LIT officers including Sikka and superintendent engineer GS Pandher and it stretched to the level that the former threatened LIT officers of dire consequences.
All through the heated arguments, Garcha repeatedly asked the people accompanying him to remove LIT���s board. One of Garcha���s supporters forcibly stopped a ditch machine of the trust. Garcha rued that LIT officers conducted the drive without giving any prior notice to them but LIT officers refuted his claim. Despite all this high profile drama, the police force remained away during the entire drive allegedly due to the pressure of the influential people involved in the matter.
Sikka while talking to TOI said the senior superintendent of police (SSP) had wide order number 11973-75 AC-3 dated February 11 ordered his force to accompany the team of LIT. But he rued that no policemen came to the spot despite the orders. ���Although we know how to carry our duty without police but I will inform the state government about this indifferent attitude of police,��� added Sikka.