LUDHIANA: Civic officials have once again started the process of taking possession of flats under illegal occupation in Giaspura, where an MC team had to face strong resentment when a 19-year-old youth was electrocuted, and a mob had attacked officials in May. Officials have asked for adequate police force to get the flats vacated, so as to avoid any untoward incident. However, illegal occupants have been given time until 22 August to vacate the flats on their own, failing which MC will have to use force.There were 450 flats under illegal possession when MC had attempted the eviction drive on 17 May, and due to attack on MC officials and fear of police action, some encroachers had left the flats on their own. But even now, there are around 250 flats under illegal possession, and to remove the encroachers, MC has sought force.In Giaspura, MC had constructed 2,176 flats, out of which 1,727 are allotted, while the rest are lying vacant, and in the absence of proper monitoring, the flats get encroached. Earlier also, officials had vacated around 250 dwelling units from encroachers in March 2016, while conducting a massive anti-encroachment drive. At that time, it had come to light that in the absence of vigil, the flats were illegally occupied, so officials had given two flats to the police department for establishing a police chowki to avoid encroachments again. But the flats have come under encroachment again.Confirming the move, Building & Roads department executive engineer HS Bhullar said: “We have demanded adequate force because last time, officials had gone without any back-up plan, and it had turned dangerous. This time, we will not repeat the previous mistakes.” He said they had demanded around 100 cops and a duty magistrate on the site for conducting the eviction drive.Notably on 17 May, while MC officials were getting the flats vacated, a 19-year-old youth had climbed an electricity pole and was threatening to touch the wires in case the drive did not stop. He lost his balance and fell down on the ground after coming in contact with high tension wires. He was rushed to the hospital, and the mob attacked MC officials, in which MC’s executive engineer Karamjit Singh was thrashed as well. Civic officials claimed the boy remained in PGI for a long time, but now he is fine.

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