Locals raze two deras as administration accused of inaction.
Raghbir Singh Brar
Faridkot
September 14, 2026
When the district administration has allegedly failed to protect government property from being encroached upon, locals have come forward to raze some encroachments in the garb of religious faith.
A large gathering of Hindu-Sikh organizations, farmer unions and social groups was held at Sri Vishwakarma Gurdwara Sahib, Faridkot, to discuss the issue of alleged illegal occupation of government land and the mushrooming of deras.
Speakers said that protection of public land is not only the duty of the administration but also a shared responsibility of every citizen, and warned that if encroachments are not checked in time, it will be difficult to save common resources for future generations. They alleged that some of the deras have become centres of anti-social activities, including drug peddling and power theft, and demanded a fair inquiry and strict legal action.
Leaders said they had already submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner and SSP Faridkot last week, after which notices have been issued to some alleged encroachers.
After the meeting, youth removed two structures allegedly built on government land — one in a street on Talwandi Road and another opposite Gurdwara Sri Mai Godri Sahib on Kotkapura Road.
Leaders including Gursewak Singh Bhana, Shankar Sharma, Sharanjit Singh Saran and Ranpinder Singh Goldy said their objective is not to target any religion but to safeguard public land. They urged the administration to take lawful action on its own so that citizens are not compelled to take law into their own hands.
Gurbans Singh Bains,SSP Faridkot said that the issue was not in his notice.”Now it has come to my notice and strict action would be taken againt the encroachers as per law.Nobody would be spared,”he said.