Encroachments: Special drives fail to yield result

An enforcement inspector was injured in a scuffle with the encroachers in Sector 22 on Monday. There has been many incidents when the staff has faced resistance while conducting anti-encroachment drives. The Municipal Corporation has over a period of time tried to provide security to the enforcement staff,but none of the proposals seem to have materialised. According to an official of the enforcement wing,“As encroachers are in a large number,therefore,it becomes difficult to control them,the political parties also tend to interfere in the functioning and sometimes shopkeepers tend to enter into an argument with an employee.” The markets in the city are full of encroachments. Even zero-tolerance zones such as Sector 17 have vendors who have encroached upon corridors. The markets in Sector 15,22 and 19 are especially a hub of encroachments. Many special drives are being conducted in these markets but there have been a little change in the situation. Councillor MPS Chawla says that a number of proposals had been mooted for the smooth functioning of the enforcement staff. However,no action has been taken as yet.