While the enforcement wing of PUDA is busy clearing the encroachments in the villages and in the periphery, in the heart of the city in Phase-IX, some slum dwellers have constructed more than three dozen jhuggis inside the Sports Complex towards the road dividing Phase-9 with Sector 68. The area ironically is not far from the PUDA office in Phase -8.
These slum dwellers claim that they were working as labourers for the contractor of PCA but today evening when Newsline team visited the place, many of them were present at their homes.
Moreover they are getting free electricity by using kundi connections and have taken direct drinking water supply from the main pipe. Also the migrant labourers are constructing fresh jhuggis inside the Sports Stadium for what they claim would be their temporary stay and by now more than 150 persons have started residing in these jhuggis.
Col Ranjit Singh Boparai (retd), vice-president of Residents Welfare Association Phase-X, told Newsline that these slums were constructed long ago during the construction of the Sports Stadium but the migrant labourers continued to stay there.
He said that some slum dwellers claimed to be paying money as rent to some persons for residing here.
The encroachers however refused to talk to Newsline team and said that they were working under a construction company at the PCA. When contacted, the representative of construction company, sitting in PCA Mohali admitted that some temporary jhuggis were set up while the company was constructing the sports stadium. However he said that the jhuggis would be vacated after the work was completed. He denied taking any money from the migrant labourers.
When contacted, ACA, PUDA (Now GMDA, Mohali) expressed his ignorance about presence of these slums but said that he would inquire into the matter. He said that the slums would be removed immediately.
Posted By Staff Reporter
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