Chandigarh municipal corporation demolition drive pits mayor against officials

CHANDIGARH: An anti-encroachment drive in Manimajra against “illegal” constructions around a temple brought the city mayor and MC officials in a direct confrontation on Thursday. Amid strong protest from locals, mayor Kuldeep Kumar, councillors and other political leaders joined protesters as MC’s anti-encroachment staff, supported by a large contingent of police, went about demolishing rooms, boundary wall and a gate of the temple.
For continuing the drive, the police had to forcibly remove protestors, including the mayor, from the site.
As soon as the MC team reached the site in the morning, the locals started to gather, and in a short while, political leaders, including the mayor, arrived at the scene.
Frenetic calls by the mayor to the MC and administration officials couldn’t stop the drive.
Later, the mayor said, “Officers are controlling to this extent in Chandigarh that they forcibly removed the first citizen and kept him in detention for an hour. It was disrespectful. Officers come here for three years and play with the sentiments of the public. It is a dictatorship.”
A representative of the temple said the temple had got a notice to remove encroachments recently even though the temple was built legally on land purchased for the purpose. “we have proper documentation to back our claims,” he said.
MC officials said the drive would continue in the coming days as more than 100 notices have been issued to illegal religious structures across the city. “The drive is being conducted as per the directions of the Supreme Court. If the illegal constructions are not removed within the time period, the MC will demolish these,” said an official.
‘Prepare plan against illegal religious structures’
Chandigarh deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh reviewed the implementation of SC orders in Union of India vs State of Gujarat & others being monitored by Punjab & Haryana high court regarding removal of illegal religious structures on public & government lands. Officers of MC, engineering dept, land acquisition office, Chandigarh Housing Board, SDMs & Chandigarh Police attended the meeting. DC directed all departments to prepare a 6-month action plan for demolition of illegal religious structures and submit within next two weeks so that demolition schedule can be executed immediately.