KORAPUT: The district administration has launched an eviction drive to remove encroachments on important roads in Koraput town. Several buildings have come up on both sides of four approach roads to Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital (SLNMCH). On Friday, 200 private houses and some shops were demolished in the eviction drive. Prior to eviction, the administration had asked people to vacate the buildings. Accordingly, residents demolished illegal constructions on encroached land. Those who did not, faced eviction. Sources said properties worth `15 crore were demolished.
Residents alleged that district administration did not maintain uniformity in the drive. The road between Temple Chowk and Pujariput Road is 60 feet wide but it has been reduced to 40 feet in some areas. They alleged that several encroachments in the road were not removed. They registered a complaint in this regard with Collector K Sudarsan Chakraborty. The Collector directed the officials to clear all the illegal constructions on the roads.
The eviction team removed encroachments from Cinema Hall road to SP Bungalow, PHD office road via DNK colony, Jagannath Mandir Chowk to Pujariput and Babul Singh Chowk to Parja Street road. Police arrested four persons for creating disturbance during the drive.