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Urban Encroachment

After temple razing, eviction drive for JICA in Cuttack

Wednesday, 22 May 2013 00:00 administrator
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The Pioneer               22.05.2013

After temple razing, eviction drive for JICA in Cuttack

Even as the administration took a day’s break from its ongoing temple demolition drive on Tuesday, another eviction drive was, however, launched in the city on the day. It was the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) which took the opportunity to run the bulldozers on illegal constructions like slums, roadside shops and kiosks that had come up along the main drains. The civic body authorities also demolished a temple on the day as part of its drive.

“We removed all the illegal constructions along the main drain stretching from Matrubhawan to Mattagajpur as this drain will be refurbished for the ambitious JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency project,” said CMC Secretary Laxmidhar Nath. At least three slums, scores of roadside shops and a Shiva temple were pulled down as these structures had come up encroaching upon the Government lands.

Anticipating public protest and law and order situation, the civic body authorities had also requisitioned the services of police for the day’s purpose. At least five platoons of police were deployed at the eviction site and reports said no untoward incident took place.

Slum-dwellers, however, complained that they were not previously informed about the eviction drive for which they faced hardship in removing their properties from their shanties in the hot summer days.

“We requested the authorities to give us at least 24 hours’ time to remove our belongings to safer place but the authorities did not pay heed to our pleas,” said a slum-dweller, who claimed to have settled down at the place for more than 20 years.

The Rs 757.44-crore JICA project envisages construction of a separate drainage and sewerage system in the city with the help of technical knowhow from the USA, Japan and France.

At least 30 km of the existing main storm drains of the city would be renovated under the project.

Similarly, new sewerage facilities of 230 km of underground gravity sewers and several pumping stations with two sewage treatment plants at Bidanasi and Mattagajpur are parts of this much-awaited JICA project.

 

Demolition drive in Tulsiwadi sparks row

Tuesday, 21 May 2013 12:08 administrator
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The Times of India                21.04.2013

Demolition drive in Tulsiwadi sparks row

VADODARA: A major row was raked up in Tulsiwadi area of the city where demolition teams of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) reached on Monday morning to raze illegal constructions. Tempers ran high during the drive due to marriages scheduled in the locality and the teams had to postpone the plan.

The demolition teams had come up to clear constructions that had come up on drainage and water lines. Repair work had become difficult on these lines. The area had witnessed a water-borne disease outbreak last year.

VMC officials said besides the issue of repair of service lines, some lanes had been blocked by the constructions. VMC had intimated residents of the area about the demolitions on Monday.

"While we were not told about the weddings then, the residents informed us regarding them on Monday when we reached there," said VMC's encroachment removal and security director Mangesh Jaiswal. Portions of around 350 houses in the area are to be razed.

Former mayor Sunil Solanki, who used to stay in the area earlier, too rushed to the spot along with BJP councillor Manoj Patel and BJP's ward president Bandish Shah. Elaborate police security was also maintained in the area in the wake of demolition plan.

The VMC teams eventually postponed their plan to next month even as residents agreed to cooperate. "They have been informed about the next dates," said Jaiswal. On Monday, however, the teams did raze the compound wall and a couple of constructions of a temple in the area.

 

15 buildings demolished

Tuesday, 21 May 2013 09:43 administrator
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The New Indian Express                21.05.2013

15 buildings demolished

Over 15 illegal constructions including the building of Salepur Private Bus Owners’ Association on the premises of Salepur bus stand were demolished by the local administration on Monday.

The structures were built illegally on government land for commercial purposes, said Salepur Tehsildar Rudra Narayan Dash.

Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) in 1981 had taken more than seven decimals of land from Salepur Tehsil on lease basis and set up the bus stand. After 1990, the bus stand became idle as OSRTC stopped plying buses on Cuttack-Chandbali State Highway. Later, OSRTC leased out the unused land to some persons who constructed permanent structures and handed them over to some shopkeepers on rent. The bus stand building was handed over to Salepur Private Bus Owners Association on lease.

 
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