Pathankot, April 14
The recent anti-encroachment drive launched by the local Improvement Trust and the Pathankot police has ruffled many a political feather, although the fact remains that top leaders are not willing to admit in public the damage it has inflicted on their respective vote banks.

Officials of the Improvement Trust (IT) and the local police removed hundreds of illegal kiosks and other encroachments on the government land last week even as politicians in this BJP-dominated city of traders were made to look the other way.

So acute had the problem become that motorists used to have a torrid time driving on the clogged roads and congested alleys of the city as hundreds of illegal encroachments had come up, a majority of them allegedly at the behest of local politicians.

The town is dominated by both big and small time traders and shopkeepers, a majority of whom are politically aligned to the BJP. The Pathankot district has three assembly seats-Sujanpur, Bhoa and Pathankot city-and BJP legislators rule the roost on all the three seats.

“This made our task all the more difficult as we were under tremendous pressure from middle rung politicians to abort our anti-encroachment drive. That is the reason why we had to take the help of the police in our endeavour to remove the violations,” revealed an IT officer.

The Pathankot SSP SK Kalia disclosed that he had deputed nearly 50 policemen under the leadership of DSP (D) Jagjit Singh to help the officials launch their drive.

Trust Executive Officer (EO) Parminder Singh accompanied the police personnel to remove a large number of temporary structures that had come up on the busy APK road.

However, sources admit that though the IT authorities were quick to turn a blind eye to the ‘orders’ of politicians, the Pathankot Municipal Corporation (MC) officials failed to embark on any such offensive giving enough food for thought about their intentions.

As the operation began, kiosk owners could be seen worrying about their plight. However, handcart owners made a ‘valiant’ attempt to escape from the scene but many of them were caught and their goods seized. Four trolley loads of confiscated goods were taken by officials to the IT office. Challans were also issued to many violators on the spot.

The modus operandi of shopkeepers of encroaching upon government owed is unique. Initially, they set up temporary stalls which were later converted to concrete kiosks worth crore of rupees. “We are happy that such a drive has been launched as it will take care of clogged roads and alleys. This also ensures adequate space for commuters,” claimed a local resident.