City’s largest slum cluster razed, UT reclaims land worth Rs 350 cr

The UT Administration today removed nearly 2,500 structures at Janta Colony in Sector 25 here and reclaimed about 10 acres of government land worth Rs 350 crore.

Earth-moving machines of the Estate Office were pressed into service during the demolition drive, which was carried out to make the city slum-free. Janta Colony was the largest illegal slum cluster in the city.

The Administration had tried to remove the colony two years ago, but the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the demolition. After the stay was vacated recently, the UT reclaimed the land today.

Most of the residents had already removed their belongings before the drive began. Many dwellers said they had nowhere to go and they would be forced to live on pavements.

The largest slum of the city was home to over 10,000 people. The land has been earmarked for a dispensary, primary school, community centre and a shopping area.

To ensure that the demolition was carried out smoothly, the Administration had constituted 10 teams and 1,500 cops were deployed to maintain law and order.

Earlier, the Estate Office had demolished jhuggis in Sanjay Colony, Industrial Area, Phase I, and reclaimed 6 acres of government land worth Rs 250 crore on April 23.

Chandigarh