Source : The Hindu Date : 07.07.2009
Civic body removes encroachments
Staff Reporter
Those staying illegally were served notices a fortnight ago
ANANTAPUR: The Dharmavaram Municipality removed encroachments on the road between Gandhi railway gate and Kadiri railway gate at the weavers’ town on Sunday. The municipal staff accompanied by police personnel razed some 75 houses on both sides of the road.
Keeping in view the increasing density of vehicular traffic on the road, the civic body recently decided to clear the encroachments and accordingly served notices to the families who were staying there illegally, a fortnight ago. Some of the families were staying there for the last three decades.
Armed by bulldozers and proclainers, the civic staff embarked upon the task of encroachment removal in the early hours.
Several residents asked the officials to give them some more time to vacate the place, but the latter felt that enough time was given to them.
Bhoomi pooja for widening the road was also done recently and the civic body had allocated Rs.20 lakh for laying a cement-concrete road.
The work was pending for the last few decades and every elected body had preferred to postpone the task till now.
Dharmavaram Revenue Divisional Officer V. Prabhakara Pillai, Deputy Superintendent of Police A. Balasubramanyam, Municipal Commissioner Ravindra Reddy supervised the encroachment removal.
Official sources stated that civic body would now focus on removing encroachments on the main road, the R&B road, once a few pending court cases were settled.