Chandigarh to raze 250 illegal structures in Kaimbwala from March 19
The estate office has also decided to carry out a similar drive in Manimajra on March 28 to demolish 400 shanties on the roadside.
punjab Updated: Mar 15, 2018 11:50 IST
Three months after the UT estate office made a failed bid to demolish illegal structures in Kaimbwala due to the villagers’ protest, it has again decided to conduct a drive to raze 250 such structures located outside the ‘lal dora’ from March 19 to 21.
The estate office has also decided to carry out a similar drive in Manimajra on March 28 to demolish 400 shanties on the roadside.
‘Lal dora’ is an extension of the village habitation, which can be used by the villagers for non-agricultural purposes only, like for keeping livestock. The land revenue department originally marked these areas by tying a red thread (lal dora) as a boundary. Any construction on the agricultural land beyond this boundary is illegal.
Most of the illegal structures in Kaimbwala also fall in the Sukhna catchment area.
Land acquisition officer Arjun Sharma said: “We are trying to requisition extra police force to carry out the drive. If we get it on time, the drive will be carried out from March 19. Otherwise, it may be postponed by a day or two.”
Two failed bids last year
Last year, the UT estate office had carried out two demolition drives in Kaimbwala, one in July and the other in December, but was able to demolish only 90 structures because of protests. The drives were carried on directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court, which had ordered the demolition without serving any notices.
The orders were originally passed in 2003, but political intervention kept preventing the execution.
According to the UT department of rural development and panchayats, of the total 6,334 acres of village land under the administration, unauthorised construction beyond ‘lal dora’ is to the tune of 254 acres.
In all, there are around 3,000 such illegal constructions in Chandigarh villages, with around 10,000 people residing in these. The constructions include both slums and small industrial units.
In last one year, the estate office has issued around 610 notices for vacating these dwellings, said a senior officer.