The Times of India              28.10.2013  

Jaipur Development Authority gives final warning to house owners in nullah's catchment area

JAIPUR: With the deadline of October 30 for removing encroachments from catchment area of the Amanishah Nullah approaching near, the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) issued final warning to house owners to vacate houses within three days.

Around 56 illegal constructions in the catchment area come under the jurisdiction of JDA, while JMC has charge of over 128 encroachments.

"We have to submit a compliance report in high court on October 31. Due to the festival season the protest might get intense. However, we are prepared to take a strict action," a senior official said.

Despite extension of deadline the civic bodies were unable to complete the work as it was an election year. Also, continuous political party programmes in the recent past have hit the drive.

The high court recently rapped the state government for its lackadaisical approach in rehabilitating and removing house owners from the catchment area. Despite this no action was taken fearing breakout of violent protests in the city when majority of police force was deployed for the security of VIPs and senior leaders coming to the state.

Sources added the drive cannot be carried out in absence of adequate police force. Recently, the JMC officials had to face huge protest while issuing notices to owners of houses. Several times officials had to return empty-handed as hundreds of residents gheraoed them.

An official claimed the latest high court order on Amanishah Nullah, which allowed its width to be maintained between 150-210 feet on whichever side free space is available, has come as a major relief for the JDA. However, as encroachers are densely populated in the area, there is no option other than razing constructions from both the ends of the Nullah.