Amritsar Improvement Trust cancels allotment of Verka booth

Amritsar, February 14

The Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT) has cancelled the allotment of Verka booth built in the corridor of Nehru Shopping Complex during the tenure of Dinesh Bassi, former chairman of the Trust. The staff of AIT has displayed a notice to vacate the place immediately. The booth was allotted in July 2020.

The installation of booth was a major violation of the building plan. After the allotment, shopkeepers in the Trust building started opposing it as the booth blocked the path toward stairs. The shopkeepers and residents had complained to the AIT, but no action was taken.

In the orders to cancel the allotment, AIT chairman Ashok Talwar stated that as per the building plan and layout of the scheme, booths cannot be installed in the corridor. The Engineering Branch of the AIT has checked the booth and submitted a report on January 5, 2023, that the Verka booth is located in the corridor, which is violation of rules.

The AIT law officer had also given his opinion that the booth was not installed at the allotted place. Even there was no space for booth in the layout plan of the building. Based on this, the temporary allotment of the booth has been cancelled. A notice has been issued to the booth operator that if the place is not vacated immediately, the Trust will take action.

Even after 24 hours of notice, the operator of booth didn’t remove it and even tore the notice installed by AIT. Notably, on January 4, the AIT removed the encroachments from parking of the Nehru Complex building. Famous Heera Paneer Wale had been booked for obstructing AIT officials in discharge of duty. Even after this the corridor is being encroached by a major restaurant just behind the Verka booth.