AFTER 47 YEARS, THE IMPROVEMENT TRUST DEMOLISHED THE ENCROACHMENT IN LATIFPURA AND TOOK POSSESSION OF 1.25 ACRES OF LAND.
Action started in the morning with heavy police force, one and a half dozen men and women who protested with farmer’s flag were taken into custody
The atmosphere has become tense in Latifpura of Jalandhar city. The whole area was sealed since last night with heavy police force. As soon as the administration team arrived this morning to demolish the illegal houses built in the area, people got entangled with them.
People said that they would not vacate their houses even if machines were passed over them. Farmers organizations have also come in support of the people of Latifpura. The farmers also had an argument with the police and administration officials
Police detained some people
In the morning, when the officials of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust and administration came with machines under police protection to demolish the houses in Latifpura, a crowd of people gathered there. People stood in front of machines in Latifpura. The police followed them too, but when they did not agree, the police took some people into custody from there and took them to the police station. Meanwhile, as soon as the information about the scuffle was received there, the people of the farmers’ organizations also reached there and the atmosphere became tense.
Two DCPs arrived with 600 jawans
Heavy police force has been arranged to maintain the law and order situation in Latifpura. Under the leadership of DCP Jagmohan Singh and DCP Jaskiranjit Singh Teja, more than 600 jawans from police stations and police lines reached Latifpura. DCP Jagmohan Singh also interacted with the leaders leading the people there.
Police officials said that their job is to maintain law and order. It is not their job to demolish the houses or not. The officials told the people to talk to the officials of the administration. He is following the orders of the court.
Trust case has won from Supreme Court too
The dispute regarding the land of Latifpura has been going on for many years. The Jalandhar Improvement Trust fought till the Supreme Court to prove its ownership of the Latifpura land and won. After it was proved in the Supreme Court that the land belonged to the Jalandhar Improvement Trust, the fight for its possession started. The court has sought an action taken report from the Improvement Trust and the administration in the ongoing case regarding possession in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Now, before presenting the action taken report in the court, the administration and the JIT have launched a campaign to vacate the Latifpura site.
Some people vacated houses and shops
Some people in Latifpura had vacated their houses and shops which were built illegally only after the notice given before the administration’s action. Even yesterday, before the administration’s action, some people shifted the belongings of their houses and shops built on the land of Latifpura by filling them in vehicles. Many people had built shops and houses here illegally and offered them on rent. They too have become empty.