Administration led City Club encroached MC Land
PHAGWARA: Expecting the Phagwara Municipal Corporation to clear encroachments from public property may be asking for too much as the civic body is not even able to evict encroachers from properties under its direct control.
The police is illegally occupying the MCs guesthouse for the past 31 years despite being asked to move out. The office of the DSP, presently the SP office, is functioning from the guesthouse. But given the power that the police yields no authority in the corporation has been able to get the premises vacated.
This Correspondent has learnt that the former MC (Previously Nagar Council) had passed resolutions and submitted a memorandum to the Punjab DGP and Principal Secretary, Local Bodies, more than seventeen years back to initiate the necessary steps to get the guest house vacated.
Although the new police complex, including offices and residences, has been constructed near Gurdwara Shri Sukhchain Sahib, the police does not seem in a mood to vacate the guest house.
S. P. Phagwara Rupinder Kaur Bhatti has expressed her ignorance saying She joined her duty in this office and moreover the NC never asked her to vacate the guest house. Even the police has encroached the land of PRTC and running Traffic Police Post in Bus Stand Phagwara land for the last several years.
Another significant occupation, which the council has not been able to do anything, is on a large portion of the council premises by City Club for the past 48 years. Its lease expired in 1976.
The City Club, which is headed by Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala, who is permanent president of the club, was paying a token rent of Re 1 to the council till 23 years ago when the then NC president Kharaiti Lal Gaba hiked it to Rs 100 per month, whereas the present market rate of the area is more than Rs 3 lakh per month.
Municipal Corporation Authorities said neither the club is renewing its lease nor considering increasing the lease rent. However, they would take up the matter soon.