AMRITSAR: Over 90m percent of properties in the 30metre periphery of the Golden Temple have been vacated for demolition under the first phase of the “beautification plan.”
According to the project director of the plan, Mr. S. Kesar, Clearance of the area would be completed by November 15 in all circumstances and landscaping of the area would be taken up thereafter. December 15 has been fixed for the completion of the first phase of the program.
Mr. Kesar said demolition of about 200 of the 400 buildings notified under the first phase of the project had been completed.
He said allotment of new sites for commercial and residential purposes has been completed for 95 percent of the people displaced under the plan.
Meanwhile, the district magistrate, Mr. Sarabjit Singh, passed orders banning the entry of people into the 30 meter periphery till November 14 “to avoid any accident or injury to the public during the demolition.”
The project officer said it was necessary to close the entry of the people to the area where the demolition was being carried out.
He further stated that the order was passed when some tenants held demonstrations and prevented authorities from putting up barricades in zones where the houses were being demolished. They eyen assaulted and manhandled workers engaged in the demolition work, he added.
Security forces are being deployed to check entry of any person in the demolition zone; he added.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 7, 1988
