Surya Enclave Extn members stage sit-in against JIT

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 9

Protests seem to have become the order of the day in the city. Amid several agitations in support of farmers, members of Surya Enclave Extension Welfare Society, too, staged their third symbolic protest against the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) here on Wednesday.

The sit-in was observed against the negligent attitude of the authorities concerned towards their problems and non-development of the 99.97 acre Surya Enclave Extension Scheme.

The scheme was reportedly announced in 2011 and in 2016. However, the members are yet to take the possession of plots despite making full payments.

As per the allottees, the Improvement Trust has failed to provide basic amenities such as water, sewerage, electricity connection and construction of roads among other things.

Major demands

• Refund of amount with interest or possession of plots at the earliest
• Removal of illegal encroachments from their area ie from their society park, C and D blocks
• Removal of encroachments on the Maharaja Agarsen road
• Construction of a 120-ft road connecting Damoria railway overbridge with NH via Surya Enclave Extn
• Second entry to railway station from the Qazi Mandi area

“There is no demarcation of plots and not a single plot possession has been given in Block C and D to the respective plot holders. There are a number of encroachments on the plots of C block on the complex. Also, there is a slaughterhouse on the complex and an illegal kothi (house) in a park, which despite repeated complaints, has not been removed. Feeling cheated by JIT, most of the allottees are senior citizens and they had paid their hard-earned money during allotments. Besides, some of the allottees, who have won the cases at consumer court, have also not got their money back with interest,” said Manohar Lal Sehgal. president of the society.

The protesting members in unison said, none of the JIT officials took the responsibility even after various inquiries by the Chief Vigilance Officer.

Darshan Ahuja, a member, said: “In 2016, when plots were allotted, the same EO Jatinder Singh, who is presently designated at the Jalandhar Improvement Trust, issued the allotment letters to all plot holders, but when we approached him for possession, he denied having any information about the Surya Enclave Extension Scheme and directed us to meet the JIT Chairman.”

Jatinder Mohan Sharma, general secretary of the society, said migrant workers have illegally occupied residential plots that belong to various allottees.