Amritsar MC cracks whip against illegal encroachments in walled city
Ahead of the festival season, the Amritsar Municipal Corporation cracked a whip on illegal encroachments in interior areas of the city on Friday. In a joint operation with traffic police, the MC removed encroachments and seized goods from Hall Gate to Town Hall, Katra Jaimal Singh, Telephone Exchange, Ram Bagh, Katra Kanhaiya, Regent Talkie Chowk and other walled city areas last evening.
Earlier, MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh held a meeting with estate wing officials and ordered them to take action against illegal encroachments in the city. It was decided in the meeting to launch a campaign in this regard in collaboration with the traffic police. Aulakh laid stress on strict action against those encroaching on roads and footpaths, causing traffic disruption. The MC will also target illegally parked vehicles and designated areas for hawkers and carts to ensure smooth movement of traffic, he said.
Assistant Municipal Commissioner Vishal Wadhawan, Estate Officer Dharmendrajit Singh and other MC officials discussed traffic bottlenecks arising out of encroachments. A letter is also being issued to the ADCP (Traffic) in this regard. Aulakh said the municipal corporation has hired a private firm to tow away vehicles parked in the no-parking zones. He said the traffic police needed to increase the number of surveillance vehicles to spot illegally parked vehicles.
The MC Commissioner asked the shopkeepers to cooperate by not encroaching on footpaths and roads outside their shops. He said places will be designated in each market for setting up hawkers and carts so that traffic does not get affected. If the direction is not followed, then the estate department of the MC will confiscate the goods, which will not be returned under any circumstances.
Aulakh said in the coming days, street vending zones will be established. More than one lakh devotees visit the city to pay obeisance at Darbar Sahib and illegal encroachments spoil the image of the holy city, he said.
