HC orders 16 Ambala outlets to remove encroachments by June 10

› There seems to be no end to this attitude of extending one’s area by encroaching on the public road without bothering for the inconvenience caused to the public. PUNJAB AND HARYANA HC BENCH

CHANDIGARH : The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed 16 commercial establishments located on the road leading to Jagadhri in Ambala to vacate and hand over the encroached land to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) by June 10 midnight.

The direction was passed by the high court division bench of justices AB Chaudhari and BS Walia while dismissing a petition of these establishments in a 22- year-old dispute between a hospital owner, shopkeepers and the civic authorities.

Encroachment to the extent of 10-12 feet has been found by authorities stalling road expansion work in Ambala’s Mahesh Nagar.

Among the affected establishments are KD Sharma Hospital, one of the oldest in Ambala, some health clinics, showrooms and other commercial buildings. The court said if the encroachers fail to give possession to NHAI, it would be entitled to take possession of the land and proceed with its work.

The court said in towns and cities such as Ambala Cantonment, people are not able to walk properly on the roads because of the encroachments on both sides.

“There seems to be no end to this attitude of extending one’s area by encroaching on the public road without bothering for the inconvenience caused to the public. To have clear and spacious roads for public appears to be a forlorn hope. Case at hand is an example,” the high court division bench observed.

The dispute over the land in question dates back to 1996, when the then district collector passed eviction order to these commercial establishments.

It was challenged in the high court but they lost the case and the government was asked to take possession of the land.

The matter remained in limbo and in 2009 the then district collector had passed an order of eviction, which was again challenged by the petitioners in the high court.

The single-judge bench dismissed the plea in 2014 against which they preferred appeal.

Now this appeal has been dismissed with the direction to clear the road of encroachment by June 10 midnight.