Panchkula: The Panchkula administration has dropped its plan, at least for now, to shift the illegal Gandhi Colony, a sprawling slum settlement on the route to Mata Mansa Devi Mandir, even as insanitary conditions continue to bother devotees and residents.Various depts of the city started the survey of the encroached site in Sept last year ahead of the Navratri festival here. Even the land was earmarked to shift the the slum dwellers at Kharag Mangoli.It was done after a meeting of the Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board, chaired by Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, gave directions to make the temple premises completely encroachment-free to preserve its beauty and grandeur.On this, a senior official reasoned with TOI that the plan was dropped as they were busy with several engagements, including the recent Navratri festival. However, sources said the forthcoming municipal corporation elections could also be the reason.“The move has been planned several times earlier also but not implemented. It needs political will. After all, it’s a big colony and huge voters reside here; it’s not easy to remove them. And there should also be a proper place for them to be shifted. This Navratri the authorities covered the colony with a sheet to hide the dirty condition. That means they are not serious and are just giving statements and passing time. Someday if some project comes here and there is a political interest, it will get removed,” commented Panchkula Vikas Manch member Rakesh Agarwal.A senior official told TOI the plan was dropped due to various events, but they will restrategise again.The land belongs to the HSVP and the MC whose officials have failed to reclaimed their lands worth crores of Rs. There are about 1,000 slums built here. Sources said there is a total of about 8 acres of land, of which 4 acres have been encroached upon. This colony is located near housing societies, the Panchkula police commissioner’s office complex, national institute of ayurveda and the temple.Along with this colony, the fate of two other major illegal colonies — Indira Colony and Rajiv Colony — situated in Sector 17 continues to hang in fire. The slum dwellers have been living in awful conditions in different parts of the city.A dirty drain passes through many of these slums, filled with stagnant and moving garbage. Pigs, cattle and dogs move in and around the drain. Stagnant dirty water, garbage dumps, poor basic amenities, open defecation and foul odour are the norm here.Residents residing near these colonies are also inconvenienced due to such filthy conditions near their homes, but the authorities are yet to wake up from their slumber.
