Politics over ruins, leaders pitch rival legal-aid camps

  • | Friday | 12th October, 2018

Coming out in support of the owners, Sharma said: “A sixhour notice is by no means legal for demolition and eviction. The MC has no power to declare the buildings illegal under the Panjab Municipal Act of 1911. Dhillon said: “The Zirakpur MC executive officer has used illegal process for demolishing the buildings at Bhabat. They are in a war of allegations since the demolition drive, as politics comes into play.Each of the two leaders has started free legal aid clinics for providing owners of the demolished buildings with lawyers to file their claims. In view of the letter under reference from the joint secretary of defence, gazette notification SRO 93 of May 22, 2001, has expired.

MOHALI: The demolition zone around the airbase grounds at Zirakpur’s Bhabat village has become an open field for politicians.Derabassi’s sitting Akali legislator N K Sharma and Congress hopeful for the post Deepinder Singh Dhillon went to deputy commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra separately on Thursday to call the drive “illegal” and seek action against the municipal council executive officer (EO) who carried it out. They are in a war of allegations since the demolition drive, as politics comes into play.Each of the two leaders has started free legal aid clinics for providing owners of the demolished buildings with lawyers to file their claims. Asked about the purpose of the meeting, deputy commissioner Sapra said: “Dhillon and Sharma came to me separately with their supporters to hand over memorandums saying the Zirakpur demolition drive was illegal, and I promised to verify their charges.”A legal aid camp sponsored by a Derabassi politician in progress at BhabatThey have posted advocates at Bhabat village and the local tehsil offices to give building owners thorough knowledge of the matter for compensation. Dhillon said: “The Zirakpur MC executive officer has used illegal process for demolishing the buildings at Bhabat. The site plans were duly approved and registered with the MC, which also claimed property tax from the owners, and now they have razed the structures. The MC has no power to declare the buildings illegal under the Panjab Municipal Act of 1911. We demand action against its officials and compensation to the affected.”The owners of the demolished buildings have filed petitions in the high court, naming the officers who supervised the demolition campaign. Coming out in support of the owners, Sharma said: “A sixhour notice is by no means legal for demolition and eviction. In view of the letter under reference from the joint secretary of defence, gazette notification SRO 93 of May 22, 2001, has expired. Hence, there is now no restriction on building anything around the Air Force grounds. The Punjab local government department may, therefore, withdraw its earlier instructions to the Zirakpur EO and nagar panchayat.”Sharma said the land owners were now exempt from the rule against building anything within 100 meters of the Air Force Station wall in Zirakpur.

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