BARGARH: The district administration launched an eviction drive to clear encroachments from government land and pave the way for the expansion of the road from Lengu Mishra Chowk to Jira Bridge in Bargarh town. A survey conducted on Friday and Saturday identified as many as 58 plots encroaching upon government land and the owners were asked to vacate space by Monday.
The stretch of road between Lengu Mishra Chowk and Jira Bridge remains congested most of the time as several business establishments operate in the area besides encroachments by the land owners. Many residents besides citizen forums and bar associations have raised the demand for the eviction of illegal structures on many occasions.
District collector Monisha Banerjee said, “The eviction drive has been taken up as there was a long-standing demand from various citizen groups about congestion of the road. A committee was formed comprising government officers as well as citizen representatives. The committee decided to take swift and unbiased action on the matter.”
The committee, after their third meeting on Thursday, proposed to the collector for an immediate eviction and demolition drive and got a nod on Friday. Subsequently, on Friday a survey was conducted by the RI in the presence of the officials and police forces and the government land was demarcated.
The structures on encroached land were marked in red colour. While as many as 58 plots were identified on which houses, godowns and shops have been built illegally, the Bargarh Municipality served notice to the owners directing them to vacate the encroached area within the next 48 hours failing which the structures on the encroached area will be demolished and stringent action taken against them.