Dispossession stayed

CHANDIGARH, March 26: Staying the dispossession of 27 petitioners -- dealing in auto repair and spare parts in Sector 28, a division benc...

CHANDIGARH, March 26: Staying the dispossession of 27 petitioners — dealing in auto repair and spare parts in Sector 28, a division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion for August 3.

The order was issued by the bench, comprising Justice H.S. Brar and Justice V.M. Jain, on the petition filed by Pritam Singh and others for directions to the Secretary of the Local Bodies against "dispossessing them forcibly from their present place of work" till the implementation of a scheme for allotment of alternate sites.

The petitioners had also sought directions against the removal of their tool boxes, besides directions to the UT Administration and the Finance Secretary to implement "the allotment of sites on leasehold basis to auto spare part dealers and auto repair mechanics in Chandigarh scheme, 1999". The counsel for the petitioners had stated that the scheme, issued vide a notification dated February 16, 1999, related to the allotment of sites by the Administration to "persons eligible under it".

The counsel had stated that certain forms were filled and money deposited after the Administration decided to rehabilitate them in the Phase I Industrial Area Motor Market Complex "for preventing the misuse of commercial sites and public places" in 1986. He had added that the UT Administration, not withstanding the amount deposited by the petitioners under the 86 scheme, had issued another notification in March 1996 asking for 10 per cent amount.