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Proposed action against ‘illegal’ 58 houses: Public outrage in Jujhar Nagar forces GMADA team to retract
GMADA officials, accompanied by police, reached the locality to initiate action reportedly linked to a case pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Tension escalated as a large number of residents gathered at the spot and staged stiff resistance, forcing the GMADA team to step back, they said.
Strong protests by residents in Mohali’s Jujhar Nagar against the proposed action against alleged illegal 58 houses forced a Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) team to return without demolishing unauthorised structures on Friday, official sources said.
GMADA officials, accompanied by police, reached the locality to initiate action reportedly linked to a case pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Still, tension escalated as a large number of residents gathered at the spot and staged stiff resistance, forcing the GMADA team to step back, they said.
Residents claimed that they had been living with their families in these houses for 12 to 15 years, and termed the sudden eviction “inhuman”. They appealed to the administration for compassion, stating that most families belong to economically weaker section and the labour class. “We built or purchased these small houses with our lifetime savings. Many of us are still repaying bank loans,” a resident said.
Locals said a significant number of Muslim families reside in the area, and with the holy month of Ramadan ongoing, demolishing houses during this period would push families into severe distress.
Sarpanch Iqbal Singh questioned the timing of the action, asking, “If these houses are illegal, why was no action taken at the time of construction or sale?” “Under the law, residents cannot be deprived of basic amenities. Providing water, electricity, roads and sewerage is the government’s responsibility. I will raise the matter at higher levels,” the Sarpanch said, urging Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to provide relief to the affected families.
GMADA Regulatory Branch SDO Harpreet Singh said, “The matter concerning 58 houses is sub judice before the high court. The team visited Jujhar Nagar strictly in compliance with the court’s directions. Notices have already been served to families concerned, and further notices will be issued as per due procedure.”
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