Eviction drive starts in Odisha capital ahead of Rukuna Rath Yatra

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Mar 26:

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started an eviction drive in Seetal Sasthi road and Ratha Danda of Odisha capital on the eve of famed Rukuna Rath Yatra of Lord Lingaraj. Even a plot encroached by a sitting corporator wasn’t spared in the eviction drive that began yesterday.

demolition

The BMC enforcement squad demolished a scrap warehouse, a servicing centre and a controversial plot encroached upon by the husband of the local corporatator in the presence of ACP Anil Kumart Patra, IIC Janardan Padhy and BDA Enforcement Officer.

The plots in question were earlier studied and measured by the BMC RI, Amin and enforcement officers and a report was prepared and then submitted to BDA following which the demolition was ordered.

Demolition on the controversial piece of land encroached by the corporator. however, wasn’t easy. Aamong the structures razed yesterday was a public lavatory built by the government on plot number 2280 and 2328 on Seetal Sasthi road of Goutam Nagar.

The land was encroached after the toilet collapsed. The encroachers even went on to oppose the measurement of land by RIs, underground cabling at the site by the government and setting up of a transformer at the plot.

The situation became worse on Tuesday when the encroachers put up a stiff resistance when Energy department workers began at work at the site. The opposition led to a scuffle during which the sitting corporator’s husband and former corporator Pramod Satapathy was allegedly beaten up.

While the BMC was aware of the encroachment, the use of force by the encroachers didn’t go down well with the authorities and action was taken to free the land within a few hours.

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