Admn likely to raze few furniture units today

Chandigarh, June 29

The UT Administration is likely to carry out a demolition drive in parts of the furniture market in Sector 53-54 tomorrow. The Land Acquisition Officer (LAO) had issued notices to shopkeepers of the furniture market to get the site cleared by June 28.

In response to the notices, a delegation of the Furniture Market Association on June 25 met Deputy Commissioner (DC) Vinay Pratap Singh. After hearing their grievances, the DC asked them to file individual replies to the LAO before June 28, failing which demolition would be proceeded ex parte.

The DC said for those occupants of the government land in the market who have given their replies and undertaking, demolition will not be undertaken tomorrow as their replies are being examined by the competent authority. “For them, a final decision will be taken soon once their replies are examined by the competent authority,” he said.

“A few shopkeepers have not submitted their replies and as per notice, demolition will be carry out soon at the units of these illegal occupants,” he added.

He again reiterated that the market has been running illegally on government land and the UT Administration is duty bound to get the illegal encroachments removed from its lands. The DC clarified the Administration was the absolute owner of this land at Badheri village.

On June 22, the Land Acquisition Department had issued a notice to the furniture market, directing the shopkeepers to demolish their shops and vacate government land within a week.

In the notice served on the shopkeepers, the department has clarified that the land was acquired by the Chandigarh Administration in 2002 and forms part of Badheri village. Despite efforts by the shopkeepers to seek stay order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, all petitions were disposed of in September 2023. The court’s decision upheld the administration’s right to reclaim the land, having already compensated the original landowners.

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