Urban News

The land in pocket number 8, Manimajra, worth crores of rupees that the UT Administration had got vacated after two decades was encroached again with hutments dotting the piece of land. However, 70 structures were removed today in a drive carried out by the Municipal Corporation.

The drive was initiated after Deputy Commissioner Brijendra Singh inspected the area. The officials of the civic body were apprised of the situation by him on Monday. However, it had yielded no results.

The DC then apprised Home Secretary Ram Niwas about the encroachments and sought action. The Home Secretary pulled up the MC officials and demanded that the encroachments be removed immediately.

A demolition drive had jointly been held by the Estate Office and Municipal Corporation in April this year. Around 550 hutments and 15 permanent structures had been demolished from 49 acres of land. After the demolition, the physical possession of 47.5 acres of land was given to the Municipal Corporation.

However, lack of stringent checks ensured that hutments resurfaced. Around 70 hutments had been set up in the area. The land has been earmarked for setting up a stadium which is part of the master plan for Manimajra that had been prepared some years ago, but is still hanging fire.

Encrochments had started surfacing in the area in 1992 after the UT Administration constructed houses under the rehabilitation scheme. 

Even before the possession was handed over, unauthorised occupants took over some houses in the Indira Colony. As many as 215 families were asked to occupy the vacant land adjoining the colony promising them houses. These families set up hutments. Gradually this number rose to 550.

Over the years, political interference had also ensured that the hutments were not removed. In fact, local politicians have time and again demanded that the 215 jhuggi dwellers whose names figure in the biometric survey as well as in the electoral rolls should be given permanent accommodation.

While demolition drives have been held a number of times, it was in April that the land could finally be vacated. This was before the hutments resurfaced on some parts of the land.

Additional Commissioner P K Sharma said the demolition drive was held today and 70 huts were removed. Fencing of the area is being done. “A probe would be initiated into the negligence, if any, on part of the officials concerned. The efforts put in by the concerned junior engineer would be looked into. In case, it is found that there was negligence on his part, action would be initiated,” he said.