BHUBANESWAR: In a major push to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)’s third bridge project plan on Gangua Nullah in Palasuni, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday evicted about 60 slum dwellers from the stretch.
BMC officials said the eviction drive was undertaken by the enforcement squad of the corporation along with officials of the Commissionerate Police, NHAI and the General Administration department to clear encroachment from the site.
Sources said the NHAI had finalised tender for the project around three months back. However, the delay on part of the civic body to vacate the area remained a major challenge. “Today’s eviction will help in expediting implementation of the project aimed at addressing traffic congestion on the stretch,” said a BMC official.
The third bridge will help NHAI to widen the stretch from existing four-lane to six-lane. In another development, the enforcement squad of BDA also launched an eviction drive near Rasulgarh Puja Mandap ground to clear alleged encroachment on about 4.124 acre land.
“The eviction drive was launched as per the requisition filed by the survey and enforcement wing of the General Administration department,” said a BDA official adding, the eviction was carried out partially owing to legal issues.