BARGARH: Residents and shop owners of the area from Lengu Mishra chowk to Jira bridge came out in large numbers protesting the demolition drive carried out by Bargarh Municipality to raze down illegal structures on government land on Monday.
Sources said the stretch of road between Lengu Mishra chowk and Jira bridge, also known as Marwaripada, is a trade hub of Bargarh town as several business establishments operate in the area.
Earlier on June 28, the Bargarh municipality had identified around 58 structures in the locality which were reportedly built encroaching government land and common road. Subsequently, the building owners were given a time frame of 48 hours to vacate the encroached area for demolition.
When the officials of the civic body, district administration and police reached the spot to begin the demolition drive on the day, they faced severe opposition from the locals who blocked the road preventing JCB bulldozers from razing the structures. Later, with intervention of police, the drive was started after a delay of more than an hour.
Bar association president and member of the committee formed for eviction Bhismadev Saraf said out of the 58 encroached structures, we had zeroed in on 43 government plots on which houses and shops have been constructed. Those will be demolished in the first phase. Of them, 18 structures were demolished on the first day. The eviction drive will continue on Tuesday as well,” he informed.
Mousumee Mahapatra, a resident of the town said the demotion drive was necessary as they faced frequent road congestion on that route. “Though it was a good step taken by the administration to widen the road and manage traffic, I feel the demolition drive should have been postponed till the end of monsoon,” she added.
“We are not against the drive but the short time limit given to us to vacate the area. Out of the 18 structures razed today, at least two were houses. In many cases, the Supreme Court has ruled against demolition of any house during monsoon. Under such a situation, the district administration has taken the decision in a very insensitive manner,” a local of Marwaripada alleged.