Jawahar camp residents seek place for toilets

Residents of Jawahar Camp whose more than 200 encroachments had been demolished a few days back have come up with a unique demand. They have sought a place for toilets on the roadsides as after the demolition, they have no toilets left.

The residents had been allotted 33 square yard each in 1947 when they had come from Pakistan as refugees. A number of them had made extra rooms or even toilets on roadsides.

On Tuesday, a deputation had come to meet Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at mini-secretariat but no one was allowed to meet him. Even area councillor Kapil Kumar Sonu was not able to hand over the memorandum to the Deputy CM.

Sonu said, "Only the poor have been targeted. Again on March 26, the team will be coming to demolish the remaining encroachments. The residents have a difficult situation after their toilets have been demolished and they have no place to construct toilets. They should be given place at least on roadside."

Prem Lata, 60, said, "Senior citizens cannot climb stairs. So we have made make-shift arrangement on the roadsides by attaching a small sheet as a cover."

Krishna Devi, 70, said, "My daughters-in- law have gone to their parents' place along with kids. They cannot live without a toilet in the house. The area is giving a filthy look after demolition as men urinate on roadsides only. The government should not always target the poor."

The residents alleged that while they were being tortured, the shopkeepers of Gur Mandi and Talaab bazar were being given repeated chances and even the squad came bare-handed once. Now the shopkeepers were daily putting pressure tactics on the MC officials. It seemed that the encroachment drive was only for the poor, roadside rehri vendors and not for the ones who were influential.

... contd.

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