ROURKELA: Houses of eight persons arrested on charges of drug peddling were razed to the ground at Meenapada slum of the Nala Road ghetto under Plant Site police limits here on Monday.
The demolition drive was carried out by the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) and facilitated by Sundargarh district administration. The drive started at around 9.45 am in the presence of an executive magistrate with an excavator demolishing six houses of the accused persons which were constructed illegally on RSP’s land, said police.
Four platoons of police force were deployed to maintain law and order during the eviction drive. Senior police officers including Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani and administrative officials supervised the exercise.
The SP said unauthorised houses of the accused persons involved in multiple criminal activities including drug trafficking were demolished following due administrative and legal procedures. Identified as a sensitive pocket, Meenapada slum is reportedly considered to be a hotspot for drug trading and criminal activities.
Wadhwani said the district administration and police will continue the crackdown on narcotics networks, anti-social activities and illegal encroachment in larger public interest and to maintain law and order.
DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai said the action is part of the state government’s strategy to weed out drug menace and narcotics trade by March 2029.
Following a targeted operation at Meenapada slum on May 23, eight persons including six women were arrested with around 220 grams of brown sugar valued at over `1 crore and `2.70 lakh cash.
The accused are Roshan Khatoon (55), Farida Khatoon (50) and her son Md Imran Alam (28), Nuresha Khatoon (55) and her son Md Alam (24), Rahima Khatoon (58), Manisha Khatoon (25) and Nuresha Khatoon (59).
