The Times of India                  22.10.2010

Anti-encroachment drive: A shoddy job

 LUDHIANA: The municipal corporation are busy patting their backs for having removed encroachments from the city in an unprecedented way, but perusal of zone-wise records and survey of the city narrates an altogether different story — presenting a disgusting picture of civic body's functioning.

In Zone A, out of a total of 2,663 recognized encroachments, the authorities have been able to remove barely 473 till date, and these too include razing of extended platforms instead removing the bigger encroachments.

Zone A comprises old residential colonies of the city where encroachments have given birth to problems like congestion and traffic jams. Comparing all four zones, Zone A has highest number of encroachments. This fact has come to the fore after a survey by the building branch of the corporation.

In Zone A, there are several areas that have not even been touched by the corporation authorities for conducting the drive. The records of the corporation revealed that in Shivpuri area as many as 421 encroachments have been recorded, but nothing has been done.

Sources revealed that it was only on Society Cinema Road that the anti-encroachment drive could bring some relief as authorities started construction of the Lakkar Bridge and encroachers did not get chance to lay their hands again on the land. Similar kind of practice was required in all other areas where they had conducted drives so that encroachments do not resurface.

However, MC officials said they face problems in razing illegal encroachments on the municipal corporation's land because people come up with stay orders. Besides this, shortage of force has also affected their drive in a few areas.

"I do not know exactly about the present status of encroachments as what was exactly reason that we could not conduct the drive in a few parts. I can comment on all this only after checking officials records," said Kamaljit Kaur, assistant town planner for Zone A.