The newly-elected Chandigarh Member Parliament Kirron Kher met Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj Patil requesting him to stop the demolition drive of various slum colonies planned by the UT Administration.
Sanjay Tandon, Chandigarh BJP president informed that the city MP Kher met Patil to request him to look into the matter of notices being served to various colonies for eviction as the
UT Administration was planning to demolish these slum colonies. Kher requested Patil to stop the demolition drive as it would render thousands of people homeless. During the meeting, Patil has assured that he will look into the matter and UT Administration will not carry out demolition drive, said Tandon.
Tandon said, “The slum dwellers were worried for past many days and had held meetings with MP Kirron requesting her to look into the issue.” Recently, notices were served to Madrasi Colony, Ambedkar Colony, Kabari Colony, Sanjay Colony, Kumhar Colony, lBS Colony among others for eviction. The demolition drive planned was the third in the series of demolitions drive carried out by the UT Administration since November last year
Notably, in the last two demolition drives carried out in the city, slum dwellers were uprooted from six colonies — Colony No. 5, Pandit Colony, Mazdoor Colony, Nehru Colony, Kuldeep Colony and Kajheri Colony — leaving 1 lakh people homeless overnight.
In the first phase, 107 acres was reclaimed after the razing of Colony No. 5 in November last year. In the second phase, 37 acres was reclaimed in Sectors 51 and 52 here.
Notably, the Chandigarh Police had on Friday last manhandled slum dwellers in Sector 17 here when they were protesting the Administration’s decision to demolish their houses. The police had also detained around 50 people, including a few women who joined the agitation.