GMADA asks occupants to vacate 42 houses

Our Correspondent 

Mohali, July 21 

The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has asked the occupants of 42 LIG houses in Phase XI here to vacate the buildings, failing which GMADA will have to forcibly get that done.

It is learnt that through a notice the occupants have been told to vacate the houses by July 25. The residents today raised slogans against the state government and GMADA, opposing the vacation notices.  Some of the affected residents have been staying in the houses for 25 to 30 years. A few of them claimed that they had documents to show that their possession was legal.  Some of them threatened to commit suicide if they were forced to vacate the accommodation.  On June 24 high drama was seen at the colony when a number of residents restrained a team of GMADA from getting these houses, which were allegedly occupied unauthorisedly, vacated. The police had rounded up more than 10 persons.  At that time, a number of residents of the colony had gathered when the GMADA team reached there to get the houses vacated, after serving prior notices.  Political leaders, including senior vice-president of the Municipal Corporation Rishiv Jain, and AAP MLA Kanwar Sandhu had reached Phase XI to extend support to the occupants.