Indian Express 18.05.2010
MC aborts anti-encroachment drive in Sec 22
Express News Service Tags : corporation, encroachment Posted: Tue May 18 2010, 03:56 hrs
Chandigarh: Asks shopkeepers to remove goods on their own
Shop owners at the Shastri Market, Sector 22, opposed the Municipal Corporation’s attempt to hold an anti-encroachment drive today. The bone of contention was that the market was closed on Monday. When the MC team came to the market, shop owners started arguing with them and senior officials had to come to the spot to sort out the issue.
In the market, replete with violations, shopkeepers have put up rods with electric wires hanging out in all directions. At places, they are being used to hang clothes or display goods. The situation is such that in case of a fire, there would not be sufficient place for people to exit. The market association president, however, has said they were ready to remove encroachments, but the MC enforcement staff itself allowed some owners to encroach, encouraging others to follow suit.
Additional Commissioner P K Sharma also reached the spot and inspected the market. Shopkeepers demanded that the civic body should allow them to use two feet area in front of their shops to display goods and the names of their shops. Sharma, on the request of the shop owners, has given them time till Tuesday to voluntarily remove encroachments. Otherwise, it will be done by the MC staff.
“The violations pose a grave risk in case of a fire in the market. Shop owners barely leave any space for fire tenders to enter. It would be a death trap,” said Sharma.
He said they had written to the UT Chief Engineer, asking for electricity connections to be inspected, as there were many loose wires hanging in the market. Regular drives would soon be held in other markets, including those in Sector 15, 19 and 20.
