The Hindu 01.11.2010
Illegal structures on Station Road razed
Staff Correspondent
| Administration renews drive after six months |
Strictly speaking:Demolition of illegal buildings in progress in the public garden area on Station Road in Raichur on Sunday. Official says action will be taken against those who try to stop the drive.
Raichur: Continuing its drive to clear encroachments in the city, the district administration has initiated measures to demolish some illegally constructed buildings within the notified area of the public garden on Station Road.
The administration is continuing the drive after a gap of six months. Earlier in March and April, it had cleared encroachments in the busy market area of the city and demolished several buildings at Teen Khadil, the cloth bazaar, the Mahaveer Circle, the Bhangikunta locality, the Mouleshwara Circle and on SNT Road.
On Sunday, a team of officials, led by Assistant Commissioner D.P. Chawhan and Municipal Commissioner M. Tippesh, reached the public garden site along with some policemen and took action to demolish about 12 buildings, including several temples constructed illegally.
The demolition work went peacefully even as tension prevailed at the site. Several religious groups raised objections over the demolition of temples without prior intimation to the temple committees. They claimed to have constructed the buildings after obtaining permission from the authorities concerned.
However, the officials continued the demolition work. They had served notices to the owners of the buildings on Saturday, directing them to clear the space.
The officials asked the building owners and temple committees to vacate the main portions of the buildings, temples and marriage halls, except the sanctum sanctorum of the temples, within two days. The building of the Raichur Engineers Association, too, was marked for demolition.
According to Deputy Commissioner V. Anbu Kumar, the drive to clear encroachments will continue and criminal action will be taken up against those who try to create hurdles.
