MC evacuates ‘Illegal’ occupants from Giaspura flats, some cry foul

LUDHIANA: Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana achieved success on Friday in its anti encroachment drive at Giaspura where hundreds of illegal occupants of government flats were evicted. Officials of MC accompanied with heavy police force were successful in carrying out the drive by getting 390 flats vacated peacefully.

Meanwhile better coordination was witnessed between MC officials and police as the joint teams of both the departments were formed which ensured that flats were completely vacated and then locked by MC. Speaking to TOI XEN HS Bhullar who was leading the MC teams said, “As many as 435 illegally occupied flats in Giaspura which were to be vacated. Our drive was successful as we were able to get 390 flats vacated in a planned manner which was supported by police force. The remaining 45 flats were found locked so we were not able to vacate them. An appropriate action will be taken shortly in these cases.”

He also mentioned that the officials went out of the way to help the evacuated families and transportation was provided to them for moving out.

However a lot of illegal occupants were seen pleading with the MC officials against eviction from these flats and some even claimed that they were the actual owners of these flats.

Krishna Devi one of the occupants said the flat was allotted on the name of her daughter in law who died and her son has not been able to complete the allotment process and make the balance payment. “Instead of giving me a chance and helping me stay here they are evicting me,” she rued.

Surjit Singh a physically challenged person who too was living in a illegally occupied flat claimed, “I was tricked by a person whom I paid Rs. 80,000. He even gave me a letter of transfer. But all my requests of letting me live here have fallen on deaf ears and I along with family have been evicted from here without any alternative having been provided to us.

Notably the MC initiated the drive after it was found that a majority of occupants were living in these flats illegally. Earlier this year in May, the MC had to face strong resistence from the occupants who then had attacked the MC team. During the protest a youth had suffered life threatening injuries when in an attempt to protest against the drive he climbed on a transformer and got electric shocks.