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Mohali MC House meets today, encroachment issue on agenda
The House will be formally briefed on the anti-encroachment drive currently being carried out on green belts and berms across the city
The Mohali municipal corporation (MC) will hold its general house meeting on Friday, with the ongoing anti-encroachment drive and rising public agitation over the action expected to dominate discussions. Mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu and city councillors will also discuss several development proposals, including a rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge project at Mango Garden in Sector 59, Phase-IV, and the replacement of the aging air-conditioning system at the MC building.
According to the meeting agenda, the House will be formally briefed on the anti-encroachment drive currently being carried out on green belts and berms across the city. Councillors will discuss the legal basis of the drive to better communicate the rationale to residents in their respective wards.
“Residents can avoid punitive action by removing unauthorised structures themselves. By issuing advance warnings and creating awareness, the MC aims to maintain law and order while ensuring that the administration can carry out the drive in a timely and efficient manner,” the agenda read.
The anti-encroachment drive was jointly launched by the Mohali MC and the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) on December 1 last year. Officials maintained that the action is in compliance with a 2022 Punjab and Haryana high court order, which recently censured the authorities for inaction and warned of contempt proceedings. While the MC had initially set a target to clear illegal structures outside residential areas by December 15, the drive has faced repeated interruptions due to protests by residents and opposition from political leaders.
Beyond the encroachment issue, the House will consider several development proposals for approval. A key project is the ₹1.35 crore rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge project at Mango Garden. This proposal has already received technical approval and has been vetted by the state-level technical committee (SLTC) and Shah Technical Consultants.
Another major proposal involves replacing the 21-year-old centralised air-conditioning system at the MC building. “The existing chiller plant has exceeded its expected 15-year lifespan and is prone to frequent breakdowns. The MC plans to replace it with a modern variable refrigerant volume system at a cost of ₹2.24 crore,” the agenda said.
The general house will also discuss the formal takeover of records for new areas recently brought under Mohali MC limits, including land records, maps, infrastructure details, and tax records for new sectors, private colonies, and villages.
