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Urban Encroachment

MCC busts illegal slum dwellers racket

Friday, 03 December 2010 06:00 administrator
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The Deccan Herald  03.12.2010

MCC busts illegal slum dwellers racket

Mysore, December 2, DHNS :

Mysore City Corporation (MCC) on Thursday busted a racket of illegal slum dwellers evicting 100 huts at Manjunathapura on the outskirts of the city.

Razed: An earth mover clearing the huts at Manjunathapura in Mysore on Thursday, even as the hapless residents watch the drive. dh photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The slum dwellers had been living illegally occupying five acres of land at Manjunathapura near Brindavan Extension, obviously eyeing rehabilitation package under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) project.

About 100 of the total 200 such slum dwellers were cleared in an emergency operation that lasted four hours from 6 am. An earthmover, two tipper lorries, besides gangmen of the civic body and two teams of Dhanush an emergency wing of the city corporation pulled down the thatched roof huts and also zinc sheets in some cases.

Soon after, a posse of men arrived at the spot, the residents who got a scent of eviction voluntary shifted their belongings to a safer place thus facilitating the drive. Interestingly, what led to the drive was the occupants who though sanctioned houses under JnNURM and also held house warming ceremonies recently, had continued to reside in the slum.

Zone four Assistant Commissioner of MCC B Nagaraj told Deccan Herald already 60 houses have been allotted to them, while 40 are nearing completion. Surprisingly, no beneficiary is ready to shift to the new shelter.

In some cases, new huts had come up at the behest of vested interests, only for getting eligibility for Nurm houses. Those vested interests had assured them of security, in case of any adverse situations.

Even as the operation was on, a few among them sought three to four days time to vacate on their own. Nagraj who obliged their request warned of resuming the drive if they continued to remain defiant.

According to an estimate there are a total of 330 houses in the slum. The total area is jointly  owned by MCC, Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and also private parties.

Junior Engineers Roopashri and Anand Krishna, Health Inspector Sooryanarayan supervised the drive under the instructions of Nagaraj. Local police in adequate numbers provided security cover.

Protest

However, the slum dwellers staged a protest in front of MCC in the evening demanding compensation. Led by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Praveen Shetty faction) they alleged that they are left in lurch without any roof. Following an assurance they dispersed later.

Last Updated on Friday, 03 December 2010 06:04
 

MC pulls down encroachment by Mall Road restaurant

Thursday, 02 December 2010 10:23 administrator
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Indian Express             02.12.2010

MC pulls down encroachment by Mall Road restaurant

Express News Service Tags : Shimla Municipal Corporation, Mall Road Posted: Thu Dec 02 2010, 03:45 hrs

Shimla:  In an early morning action on Wednesday, the Shimla Municipal Corporation pulled down fresh encroachments made by a leading restaurant on the Mall Road and cleared an old drain that had been filled up to extend the business premises. The illegal extensions had reportedly come up during late evening hours, and without permission from the Municipal Corporation.

This was, perhaps, the first ever public action, which Municipal Commissioner A N Sharma initiated after media reports about encroachments by businessmen taking a toll on the Mall Road, a heritage zone. A few alert citizens had reportedly made calls to the commissioner calling for intervention.

“We received reports last night about Nalini restaurant, which has undertaken renovations, having encroached the Mall Road by raising high railings. The commissioner set up a team that went to the spot, along with the police, and razed the structures,” said MC Field Engineer Subash Chander.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who was at The Ridge for a function, praised the commissioner for his action and instructed him to “deal with such encroachments firmly, and without fear”. Dhumal also inquired about complaints of serious violations of building norms committed by a leading Shimla jeweller. “I have summoned the file. There is already an inquiry going on against him,” said the commissioner.

He later told the media that apart from the Nalini owner a large number shopkeepers and traders on the Mall Road had covered the decades-old drain. “The drive will continue,” he said.

Last Updated on Thursday, 02 December 2010 10:25
 

CHB officials visit demolition site; residents air grievances

Thursday, 02 December 2010 10:21 administrator
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Indian Express                  02.12.2010

CHB officials visit demolition site; residents air grievances

Express News Service Tags : Chandigarh Housing Board, demolition drive Posted: Thu Dec 02 2010, 02:10 hrs

Demolition

Chandigarh Housing Board CEO Jaswinder Kaur gives audience to the residents of Sector 45, where the demolition drive was conducted.
 
Chandigarh:  The residents of Sector 45, where a demolition drive was held by Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) on Tuesday, aired their grievances as a team of Board officials visited the area today. The residents rued that the demolition drive was unfair.

The CHB had removed violations and encroachments from 34 houses on Tuesday. Madhu Bansal, wife of Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources Pawan Kumar Bansal, as well as Municipal Corporation councillors were also present. The residents took the team to the houses where the demolition had taken place. During the drive, the garages and balconies had been brought down.

The residents stated that these were need-based changes made in the houses and had been present for more than a decade. They further said that they should have been given more time to get the changes regularised instead of the houses being demolished.

Rajinder Singh, a member of the Sector 45 Residents’ Welfare Federation, said that the demolition was carried out due to the personal vendetta of a CHB official. “We have demanded that the official, who has himself made numerous violations in his house in the area, be repatriated to Haryana. The Federation has further said that no demolition should take place till we are given time for getting the changes regularised. The damages should be paid for by the CHB,” he said.

The CHB officials reportedly asked them to give their demands in writing. Councillor Pardeep Chhabra, who was present during the inspection, said that the residents had constructed structures on their own land and they could not be considered encroachments. The CHB needs to reconsider its decision and allow need-based changes, he argued.

Last Updated on Thursday, 02 December 2010 10:23
 
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