Ludhiana: Residents of G Block, Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar, on Tuesday, staged a protest opposite Nehru Sidhant Kendra, where the draw of lots for Atal Apartments was being organised. Police personnel were deployed outside the venue to prevent any disruption to the draw. A local BJP leader was also among the protesters.Residents alleged that the 475-acre SBS Nagar scheme, originally planned as a residential area, had gradually turned into a commercial hub due to faulty policies and lax enforcement by Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT). They claimed that illegal commercial activities were being carried out in several residential blocks.Protesters said that while the approved design of LIT permits construction only up to two-and-a-half storeys, illegal structures of four to five storeys have come up in various areas. They specifically alleged that a five-storey hotel was being constructed on a 40-square-yard plot reserved for the economically weaker section (EWS) in E Block.Meanwhile, LIT officials said they had sought police force to remove encroachments and that action would be taken once force was provided.MSID:: 130258368 413 |
