ROURKELA: Rourkela tehsil authorities were forced to abort an eviction drive in Gurudwara Road area on Monday after local MLA Sarada Prasad Nayak reached the spot and opposed the move, calling it ‘selective and targeted’ action of the administration
The tehsil office team accompanied by Plant Site police reached the Gurudwara road with an excavator and tried to break open the lock of a shop within the premises of Utsav hotel. However, the MLA along with his supporters arrived at the spot and forced the administration to stop the drive.
Sources said Utsav hotel, owned by Praveen Garg, was earlier served notices for eviction after courts of the tehsil office and the Sundargarh district magistrate ruled that it was encroaching on government land.
The MLA, however, claimed it was a targeted action against Garg while other individuals encroaching government land in Rourkela city have been let off. Furious over the action, Nayak climbed atop the excavator and forced the operator to come down. He also stopped workers from breaking open the lock of a shop on the hotel premises. Garg, a social activist, is reportedly a close aide of MLA Nayak.
Later, Panposh sub-collector Bijay Nayak reached the spot and tried to unsuccessfully convince the MLA to cooperate, citing a court order which he said had given order in favour of the administration.
Sources said over five acres of government land on Gurudwara Road area have been under illegal occupation for many decades, both for commercial and residential purposes. Rourkela tehsildar Salima Minz refused to comment on the issue.