LIT officials await EC nod for removing encroachments

Ludhiana: For the removal of encroachments from prime land in Transport Nagar, officials of Ludhiana Improvement Trust are waiting for the approval from the Punjab election commission as the code of conduct is in force and they cannot remove the illegal structures on their own without permission.
The officials had already started the process for removing encroachments by conducting a detailed survey in the area. But before they could get police force for conducting the demolition drive the model code of conduct was imposed.

According to LIT officials, there are around 36 acres belonging to LIT in Transport Nagar and almost 40% is under encroachments. The officials had proposed to shift the bus stand to Transport Nagar after vacating the encroachments because the areas around the bus stand were facing a lot of traffic problems. There is a plan to shift some part of the bus stand to Transport Nagar but without clearing the encroachments it is not possible to take any step.

Sources revealed that earlier they had planned to issue notices to each encroacher but it would take a long time and would be a cumbersome process, therefore LIT is planning to issue a public notice. However, due to the code it is not possible to issue any public notice, so they have applied for the permission.

Meanwhile, the superintending engineer of LIT Rakesh Garg while confirming the same said, “We have written for the permission to to the Punjab election commission to issue public notice to the encroachers for vacating the land. If we get the approval, it will be of great help.”