CUTTACK: After a lull of two days, the district administration on Monday resumed its drive against unauthorized illegal religious structures in the city. Three bulldozers pulled down the Trishakti temple spread over two acre at Markat Nagar. More than 10 platoons of police force were deployed in the area to avert any untoward incident.

"We managed to demolish only one temple, which was spread over a huge area. The drive went on smoothly," said ADM (Cuttack) Bibhu Prasad Sarangi.

The administration is now waiting for the Orissa High Court verdict on the petitions opposing the drive, which will come up for hearing on Tuesday. "Our future course of action will depend on the court's order," said Sarangi.

A high-level meeting was also convened in Bhubaneswar to discuss the issue. A delegation of Cuttack Mahanagar Peace Committee had met law minister Maheswar Mohanty on Friday and urged him to intervene in the matter. The MLAs representing Cuttack had also met chief minister Naveen Patnaik, requesting him to stop the demolition drive.

Sources said the drive is being carried out in accordance with January 6, 2011, order of the HC, in which it had ordered for demolition of all religious structures that have come up on government land after 1987. The drive began on May 1 and only five religious structures have been razed so far.