The Pioneer 02.07.2013
Anti-encroachment squad constituted
After failing to keep check on rampant growth of unauthorised
constructions in Chandigarh, the UT Administration has constituted an
anti-encroachment squad to deal with the sticky problem.
The anti-encroachment squad comprising officials of UT Estate office
would keep an eye on encroachments and would compile a daily report so
that unauthorised constructions could be dealt with at initial stage.
Besides, the Administration has also decided to recover demolition drive
charges from the violators from now onwards.
To contain the encroachment activities, it has been decided that
whenever demolition drives are carried out, the demolition charges will
be recovered in form of heavy penalties from the allottees or occupants
of the respective demolished units.
These charges will include expenditure made on removal of violations or
encroachments, engaging machinery, transport and also for maintenance
of Law and Order incurred by Estate office in the process.
The demolition drives carried out by UT Estate office to remove such
violations and encroachments involve extensive expenditure in terms of
engaging police force, labour, machinery, vehicles among others.
Earlier, the Chandigarh Housing Board had also decided to recover cost
of demolition drive from the violators. The penalty for removal of such
violations by CHB in individual dwelling units wherein such violations
or encroachments have been carried out may vary upto Rs40,000 per
dwelling unit.
With over 250 unauthorised religious places, over 10 slums and colonies
and other scores of unauthorised markets, the UT Administration
endeavors to contain the encroachments has remained futile so far.
While talking to The Pioneer, UT Home Secretary Anil Kumar said, “An
anti-encroachment squad has been constituted by the UT Administration to
keep check on unauthorised constructions here.” He said, “The squad
comprises of enforcement inspectors and other officials of the UT Estate
office. The squad would make daily reports so that no new unauthorised
constructions come up in the union territory of Chandigarh. The UT would
also deal strictly in case of existing unauthorised structures here.”
“The UT Administration has also decided to recover cost of demolition
drive from the violators from now onwards,” he added. Despite attempts
by the UT Administration to contain the mushrooming encroachments upon
government land, the city has over 250 un-authorized structures
including religious places.
And. the demolition of illegal religious structures has remained an
uphill task for the UT Administration. According to a data available
with the UT Administration, over 100 temples are built by encroaching
upon the government lands. About, 25 Gurudawaras, three Churches, over
20 Mosques have been constructed illegally on government land in the
past.
Though the numeral of unauthorised religious places has descended if
compared to the statistics in previous years, yet the UT Administration
has miles to go to ensure control on the encroachment activities in the
city.
While various courts in their pronouncements have held that
encroachments on government land including religious places should be
removed, the higher authorities are yet to take any substantial measure
to check such encroachments.
