Chandigarh, June 20 -- The UT estate office demolished Adarsh Colony, an illegal settlement spread across Sectors 53 and 54, under its ongoing slum-free campaign on Thursday. It was the second last remaining slum in the city. The colony, which came up nearly two decades ago on approximately 12 acres of government land, housed around 1,000 shanties. The estimated value of the reclaimed land is Rs.480 crore.

The land, acquired by the Chandigarh Administration in 2002, is part of the city's master plan and will now be integrated into Sector 54 where residential plots are proposed to be developed.

The demolition drive began at 6.30 am and continued until 10.30 pm. However, the operation was halted for nearly four hours after some occupants ...