MC team faces stones at Jalandhar locality
The civic body officials had visited the area to remove girders put up by the residents to stop heavy traffic flow; two injured; 11 attackers identified
JALANDHAR: Unruly scenes were witnessed when a team from municipal corporation Jalandhar (MCJ) and police visited Kot Baba Deep Singh Nagar near the Sodal temple to remove girders from the area on Thursday.
The residents pelted stones at the MC officials. The MC team had to face the wrath of an angry crowd, who were against the girder removal.
The residents also broke the JCB machine glasses, that the team had brought to remove the girders.
Notably, the conflict between MC and locals has been going on since last year, when the residents had started putting girders on the narrow streets of the area to prevent entry of heavy vehicles.
Even the MCJ had issued notices to the area residents on several occasions but to no avail.
To disperse the crowd, the police had to carry out lathi charge.
The action was taken following municipal commissioner Dr Basant Garg’s directions.
An eyewitness informed the HT that before the arrival of MC team, the locals had made an announcement in the local gurdwara asking the people to prevent the team from removing girders in the area.
During the confrontation, one police official and an MC inspector Dinesh Joshi were injured.
Municipal town planner (MTP) Banke Bihari said, “As per the Punjab and Haryana high court directions, MC was supposed to remove two girders blocking the area traffic.”
One out of the two girders has been removed, said an MC official.
The Jalandhar Iron and Merchant Association whose industries are setup in the area had moved to the high court in August, 2016 against putting of the girders by residents in the area.
The next hearing in the case is on September 12.
The police have identified 11 people who attacked the on duty government officials while 20 are yet to be identified.
A case has been registered under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in the discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 307 (attempt to murder). 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 ( every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in persecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused.