Eviction Notice in Janta Colony, Chandigarh: Residents Granted 7 Days to Vacate Property for Slum-Clearance Project
Vamosa's Unleashed Version
Kick out, Kimbos! Janta Colony's denizens given a week by the Chandigarh UT estate office
Gear up, Janta Colony inhabitants! The UT estate office has come knocking, and they ain't bringing flowers. A public notice has been served to the residents of Janta Colony, Sector-25, demanding them to skedaddle within a week, come May 1! A demolition drive is scheduled for May 9 to purge the 10-acre government land of unauthorized shanties, jhuggies, and other shiggity.
The notice don't mince words: if you don't up and leave this stinkin' place during the time specified, you're fair game for removal. And don't think for a second that your documents will save your hide, claims a handful of residents. Rumor has it, they've been left in the cold by the city's rehab schemes.
Janta Colony, one of Chandigarh's messiest slums, is home to more than 10,000 troublemakers. The city's brass has earmarked this land for some much-needed public infrastructure, including a dispensary, a primary school, a community center, and a shopping complex. But hey, who needs a dispensary when you've got the streets, eh?
This is far from the first rodeo for the Chandigarh administration. Back on April 23, they wiped out Sanjay Colony in Industrial Area, Phase I, reclaiming 6 acres of land valued at a cool ₹250 crore. This round of evictions had been put on hold for nearly two years thanks to a stay order from the Punjab and Haryana high court. But with that order now vacated, our fearless administrators are off to the races again.
In recent years, the city's elite have knocked down several slum clusters, including Colony No. 4 in 2022, reclaiming 65 acres worth nearly ₹2,000 crore. Shady business or what?
These days, the city's slum-clearing rampage shows no signs of slowing. In 2021, tin-shed colonies' inhabitants were relocated to Sectors 52 and 56. The city's bosses clearly ain't interested in offering the slum dwellers a hand-up, having cleared over 200 acres in the past, including Colony No. 5, Mazdoor Colony, Kuldeep Colony, Pandit Colony, Nehru Colony, Ambedkar Colony, Kajheri Colony, and Madrasi Colony.
So, better start packin' your bags, Janta Colony. It's time to get out and get gone. And don't look back, 'cause the city's watchin'!
P.S. Based on available data, no active rehabilitation plans are mentioned in the latest notices for Janta Colony. Residents were earlier offered opportunities under the Affordable Rental Housing Scheme, but none seems to have qualified. Legal challenges were filed but, as of 2022, have been addressed by the administration compliance with court directives after hearings.
Pro-tip: Get ready to bunk with your friends in the industrial area, 'cause the city ain't budging!
- The upcoming demolition drive by the UT estate office in Chandigarh will result in the removal of unauthorized structures on a 10-acre piece of government land, including shanties and jhuggies, in Janta Colony, as a part of a plan to develop new infrastructure such as a dispensary, a primary school, a community center, and a shopping complex.
- Despite the city's rehabilitation schemes, a handful of Janta Colony residents claim that their documents have been left invalidated, which might not protect them from the upcoming eviction.
- The politics of evictions in Chandigarh extends beyond Janta Colony, as the administration has previously demolished several slum clusters, including Colony No. 4 and Kajheri Colony, resulting in financial gains by reclaiming hundreds of acres of land.
- An earlier demolition drive took place on April 23, 2021, when Sanjay Colony was wiped out in Industrial Area, Phase I, reclaiming 6 acres of land valued at ₹250 crore.
- Despite ongoing court challenges, the absence of active rehabilitation plans in the latest notices for Janta Colony suggests that the evicted residents might need to seek alternative accommodations, potentially with friends in the industrial area.
