The Pioneer 27.10.2010
Anti-encroachment drive carried out in State capitalAnkur Sirothia | Bhopal
Cracking the whip against encroachers, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted a full-scale drive at the main road connecting Sindhi Colony and Chhola in the old city area on Tuesday.
The Corporation's hammer was particularly against the scrap dealers, who exceeding their limits, had ventured into the 80 feet main road that was resulting in traffic jams and chaos in the area.
The anti-encroachment drive attracted ire of traders, who a number of times resisted the bid and charged the Corporation with destroying their source of livelihood.
There were also some incidents of stone pelting and allegations of targeting a particular community, however, the drive went through in presence of the police.
Over a hundred encroachments including sheds, ramps, stairs and two shops were razed in the daylong action conducted under the supervision of BMC's building permission officials and anti-encroachment squad.
Similarly, covering the other nearby Royal Market and Peer Gate area, a number of pushcarts and material kept on road was seized by the Corporation.
Officials stated that around five-truckload material was picked from different areas, apart from removing half a dozen pushcarts and few roadside stalls.
The action was also taken against the ones who resisted the bid. Some roadside vendors of the Peer Gate area who pelted stones on BMC staff and workers were booked by the police. Though, there were no reports of anyone getting injured in the resistance, few vehicles of the Corporation got damaged in the stone pelting?
The drive was in view of paving the way for movement of traffic in the busy market areas of the State capital.
In the presence of Additional Commissioner Kumar Purushottam, APS Ghairwar, City Planner Sunita Singh, the drive using JCB machines and cutter equipment, continued throughout the day.
