Illegal gates: Improvement Trust fails to rein in offenders

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, March 27

The menace of installation of illegal gates in colonies developed by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) continues unabated —such gates usually remain closed even during the day.

This is despite the explicit directions that all such gates are to be kept open during the day and if the gates are to be closed at night, security men should be deployed to avoid inconvenience to the residents of the colonies and visitors.

The LIT has lodged a complaint against some residents of Rajguru Nagar where four illegal gates were put up last week, despite resistance by other residents and the instructions of the LIT to stop the installation.

Sources said some gates were now being installed at entry/exit points in G Block of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar — another colony developed by the Trust. Residents have also complained that out of six gates already installed in E Block of the colony, only two are opened during the day and others remain closed.

“One or two gates are opened, with a chain and a lock securing them, so that only the pedestrians can gain entry and vehicles entering the colony have to take a detour,” said Arvind Sharma, a resident of the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar Colony.

Residents said the functionaries of the Resident Welfare Society had refused to keep all gates open during the day and deploy security personnel at the gates which were to remain closed during the night on the ground that the society could not afford additional expenditure of security guards.

Several residents of G block of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar had lodged a complaint with the LIT authorities to intervene to check the illegal gates on public streets and roads. Kirpal Singh, a resident of the colony, said the residents would face harassment as most of these gates would remain closed during the day and the residents would have to cover extra distance to move in and out of the colony.

RK Garg, LIT Superintending Engineer, said the installation of illegal gates was of grave concern. The Trust has lodged a police complaint against putting up such gates in C Block of Rajguru Nagar and the staff had been directed to visit the site and submit a report on the installation of gates in G block of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.

“We shall also ensure that gates already put up in the Trust colonies are kept open during the day and security guards are deployed at night if the gates are to be closed, according to the directions issued in this regard,” he added.