Jalandhar, Aug. 4 -- The district administration is facing a daunting challenge to clear encroachments from the controversial Latifpura demolition site following the Punjab and Haryana high court's latest directive. On July 29, the court ordered removal of all encroachments, including debris and makeshift tents, within 30 days to reopen a 120-ft road blocked for the past two and a half years. The road stands encroached by those whose houses were razed by the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) in December 2022. The occupants have been staging a protest at the site since demolition of their houses, demanding better rehabilitation provisions. The debris and half-razed constructions continue to keep the road passage choked, causing inconvenience to the residents of several colonies on the periphery. The high court orders came after the Joint Action Committee (JAC), Model Town, filed a civil writ petition seeking clearance and re-opening of the main road. The petitioner maintained that the encroachments in Latifpura resulted in heavy traffic jams. On December 9, 2022, the JIT demolished nearly 50 residential structures to get possession of its 241 marlas of land situated in the middle of the town. The drive largely affected around 30 families, who claimed to have settled here since Partition. The demolition process had created a political storm in Punjab as the Opposition and farmers unions cornered AAP for its approach in handling the issue. JIT chairman Rajwinder Kaur Thiara said the meeting in this regard has been scheduled with deputy commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal on Monday to decide the strategy for compliance with the HC order. "It is a court direction and we are bound to clear the encroachments. If required, we will hold a meeting with the occupants to remove encroachments peacefully," Thiara said. Meanwhile, Santokh Singh Sandhu, a member of the Latifpura Rehabilitation Committee, said they held a meeting with the occupants residing in the tents at the demolition site after they received eviction notices from the administration. "We demand proper rehabilitation arrangements. The committee will hold its meeting to decide the next course of action," Sandhu said. He added that 14 families are presently residing at the demolition site in temporary arrangements. The deadlock has been there between the Latifpura Rehabilitation Committee and the JIT for over three years as the victim families are demanding rehabilitation on the same piece of land. The JIT is offering flats in its development scheme-Bibi Bhani. Those against it are being provided 2-marla land each in Surya Enclave Extensions.....