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Demolition drive fails to begin amid protest

JALANDHAR: NNearly 400 police officials, including women personnel, Anti-Riot Police (ARP), and tear gas unit, ambulances, fire brigade, staff of the Municipal Corporation and the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT), reached Latifpura here at around 7.30 am today, fully prepared to demolish structures in the 1.5-acre area that belongs to the JIT.

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Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 15

Nearly 400 police officials, including women personnel, Anti-Riot Police (ARP), and tear gas unit, ambulances, fire brigade, staff of the Municipal Corporation and the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT), reached Latifpura here at around 7.30 am today, fully prepared to demolish structures in the 1.5-acre area that belongs to the JIT.

It was a day of challenge for the hundreds of police officials and other staff members of the MC and the JIT as residents did not allow the authorities to take any action against their houses.

People were vigilant and were keeping a hawk’s eye on every move of the officials and were also following the latter to every place.

But even after standing there for several hours till the evening, the demolition drive could not be carried out, except the demarcation of the area. ADCP-2 D Sudervizhi said the ARP team was also deputed to control the mob.

The residents of the area sat on a protest and they said they would not allow anyone to demolish their houses. They opposed the demolition by pelting bricks and burning tyres when the MC staff raised some part of the area.

The residents, including men, women and youth, damaged earth movers that reached the spot. The protest could not be controlled despite the presence of police personnel in a large number at the site.

The property of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) worth crores has been occupied by local residents for years. Notably, Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu during his last visit to the JIT in Jalandhar had ordered the execution of the drive to get the property evicted. This is not the first attempt that has been made by the JIT Chairman to take action at the site. In October last year too, a similar attempt was made but all went in vain due to a huge protest.

People fight for land

Residents said they had come here during the Partition and had been living in Latifpura since then.

“How can they displace us? There was a time when this place was abandoned, there were no people. We made it a place worth living and now after roads have been built and everything is in place, the officials are seeing it is a suitable place to earn money by demolishing our homes,” an elderly said.

Earlier, for people living in the area, running dairies were the source of income, but when the dairies were moved from the place, people were left with no option but to earn by doing labour.

“We are too poor that is why the officials are care less about us. We are already paying water and electricity bills, have Aadhaar cards and we cast vote too. Then why are they wanted to displace us,” asked one of the residents Dinesh Dhir.

A girl in her early 20s said she was a graduate from this area. “I have done BCA and have no job. Years have passed in protests against the authorities. How am I supposed to complete my postgraduation in such a tensed scenario? I have completed my graduation with difficulties. Half of the time, we remain in suspicion and apprehension that what is going to happen next to us,” she said.

No politician wants to help us: Residents

Residents also claimed that the JIT wanted to construct a shopping mall at the site that is why they were getting displaced. They also said they had visited the Jalandhar Cantonment MLA, Pargat Singh, and Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu but to no avail. “Even these politicians do not want to help us,” they rued.

CommissionerSpeak

JIT Commissioner Diprava Lakra said approximately 1.5 acres of the area which belongs to the JIT would be demolished. When asked why the process of demolition could not be carried out, he said he had thought that people would be convinced to leave as discussions were already held with them in November too.

“We wanted the demolition to be held peacefully. But now, we will plan again and carry out the process,” the Commissioner said.

He said the Supreme Court had passed the judgment in JIT’s favour in 2012.

Alternative site

Lakra said if the residents would leave the site peacefully, the option of alternative site would definitely be considered for them.

“After all we are a welfare state,” he said.

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