The Hindu                              07.03.2013

Corporation begins crackdown on illegal encroachments in city

SPRUCING UP THE CITY:Encroachments at Sakthan Nagar, Thrissur, being removed.— PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

 

Pavement sellers stage protest, demand rehabilitation.

The Thrissur Corporation has started an eviction drive against the roadside vendors at Sathan Nagar and Pattalam Road.

The crackdown started following a decision by the corporation council convened on February 16 for the immediate removal of illegal encroachments in the city.

The Mayor had given instruction to the corporation secretary to evict the encroachments within seven days. The illegal encroachments were not only causing inconvenience to pedestrians but also resulting in traffic jams in many areas.

Following strict orders from the corporation secretary, many pavement sellers had vacated their shops. According to the corporation officials, almost 90 per cent of the encroachers have already vacated. Remaining shops will be evicted soon. Six lorries, two JCBs and sufficient workers have been deployed for the purpose, said R. Lalu, Corporation Secretary. The eviction drive is being done jointly by engineering, health and revenue departments. The City Police Commissioner has extended all support, the Secretary added.

Meanwhile, there were protests against eviction of pavement sellers without providing rehabilitation package. Though leaders including P.C. Chacko MP had earlier promised to protect them, nothing has been done so far, the protesters alleged. They pointed out that while the corporation officials take strict action against the pavement vendors, it was ignoring the encroachments made by big business groups.

There is also a demand to check parking violations in all the buildings in the city where sanctions have been given for provision of parking spaces.

The Times of India                              05.03.2013

Kozhikode corporation to start drive against illegal hoardings

KOZHIKODE: The Kozhikode Corporation authorities will begin an intensive drive to remove all the illegal hoardings erected in its limits.

The revenue section of the civic body has started preparing list of the advertisers and agencies that obtained permission from the corporation to erect their hoardings at various parts of the corporation limit.

The city corporation council meeting held on February 28 had entrusted corporation secretary to supervise the work to be carried out by the corporation officials. The civic body will remove all the hoardings, banners small and big erected in the civic body jurisdictions without obtaining permission from the authority concerned.

At present, the city corporation is getting only Rs 58 lakh income per year from the advertisements.

The civic body had awarded tender to a private party to levy fee from those who erect advertisements in its limit. The new step is expected to generate additional income to the city corporation's exchequer.

Corporation revenue officer M G Sasi said that the staff in the section has started preparing list of agencies who have obtained permission to erect hoardings in its limit.

"The preparation of list will be completed in two days. The mode of conducting operations will be made after discussing it with other officials,'' he said.

"A squad comprising staff of health, revenue and engineering sections will be constituted to remove the illegal hoardings," he said.

City corporation secretary B K Balaraj said that he has been entrusted revenue officer to carry out the drive against illegal hoardings.

"A review meeting will be held in the second week of March to discuss the matter. An exact figure of illegal hoardings will be ready by the end of this month. Stringent actions including removal of hoardings and imposing hefty fines will be taken as part of the drive,'' said the secretary.