The operation, which was supervised by Estate Officer G.S.Ghuman started at 11a.m. and continued for five hours. The 40-member demolition squad, which included the enforcement staff and the police, was led by Executive Magistrate Parmod Sood and SDE Pritam Singh. When the Newsline team reached the spot, the demolition was being carried out manually.

G.S.Ghuman said all the Kiosks which were demolished today had come up illegally on the prime land of Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) only recently. This site had been earmarked for a primary school and petrol pump, as per Ghuman.

Hot tempers and arguments prevailed between the staff and the kiosk owners following which the drive was suspended for a short period. Area Councillor Inderjeet Kaur contested the legality of kiosks and held that the market has been under operation for the last one decade. Niamat Ali, a hair dresser, said: "I have been running my business for the last 12 years."