Nainital District Magistrate Deepak Rawat headed an anti-encroachment drive also involving municipal personnel in Nainital on Monday. In the afternoon, the District Magistrate headed a municipal team which began the task from the Mallital area.
A chat shop set outside a gift and shawl emporium at Mallital rickshaw stand was cleared and the items present including cooking gas cylinder, stove and counter among others also being impounded by the authorities.
Following this, the DM bean working on removal of various other encroachments in the area with a footwear shop and other commercial encroachments were also cleared from the area. Acting on complaint by the public about encroachments by shopkeepers in the Bartanwali street leaving little space for people for the shoppers and other pedestrians to walk.
Here the shopkeepers had extended their stalls by about three feet at the front. Getting removed, all the wares displayed by shopkeepers outside their shops, the district magistrate warned them that their shops would be seized in case their wares are again found to be displayed outside the shops. It was observed that a bakery cafe in the area had blocked the roadside drain diverting it towards the utensil-shops street.
He warned that the shop in question will be sealed if the roadside drain is not brought to its original state within 24 hours. From this area, the district magistrate headed the encroachment removal drive towards Pichadi Bazaar where the team found that vegetables for sale had been displayed extending and encroaching about six feet outside a shop.
He warned that the shop will be locked down in case the wares are found to have been displayed on the road. While making a round of Nainital town, the team led by the district magistrate also impounded a total of five motor cycles found to be without license number plates.
Acting on the complaint received from the public about gambling activity at the flat parking area, Rawat reached the site, causing the gamblers to scoot leaving the playing cards and other stuff behind.
He called up the Mallital Thana police saying that gambling activity just 200 metres from the police station is a serious issue and warned that the officer concerned will have to answer for in case complaints are received again regarding gambling at the flat parking.