BHUBANESWAR: Tension prevailed in the capital city on Thursday during a massive eviction drive carried out by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and Bhubaneswar Development Authority to demolish unauthorised makeshift shops between Acharya Vihar and Vani Vihar stretch along National Highway-16.
Sources said the eviction drive has been launched across various parts of the city ahead of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. On the day, the locals alleged that they were not served with any notice for the eviction, however, the authorities refuted the claims.
"Notice was served to the people running makeshift shops between Acharya Vihar and Vani Vihar and accordingly the illegal structures were demolished. The police force was deployed and there was no law and order situation," said Saheed Nagar IIC, Suchitra Birya Das.
A BDA official told TNIE that more than 10 squads are engaged to carry out the eviction of unauthorised shops at major locations in the city. "The unauthorised shops were also leading to illegal parking on the roads. The drive was launched keeping in view the upcoming Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and it will continue in the coming days," he said.
Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das recently said that BMC and BDA have launched a drive to clear 55 roads of encroachments in the state capital. The authorities are taking steps to evict roadside vendors along key stretches and shift them to designated permanent vending zones, she said.
On December 26, the street vendors held demonstrations in front of BMC north zone office and blocked roads near NALCO Square here in protest against the eviction drive.