In a massive drive against encroachment, the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) on Tuesday deployed a bulldozer to demolish a commercial complex illegally erected near Amaldiah pond.
The removal of this complex, falling in RMC Zone 4, was also needed to pave a way for carrying out beautification works to give a facelift to the pond. Following the directives issued by RMC Commissioner, Avnish Kumar Sharan, a joint team of RMC and police force launched the drive. The team, led by RMC Zone 4 Commissioner, Vasudev Ram Chouhan, bulldozed all 11 shops of this complex.
The complex was allegedly developed on an open Government land situated in front of the higher secondary school. RMC pressed two JCB machines, three dumpers and a team of labourers to remove the complex. The drive started at 11 am and it took six hours to clear the encroachment from the government land.
It was learnt that as many as nine traders including Yogiraj Chandrakar, Harish Kumar Patale, Nitu Nirmalkar, Vikram Singh Kurre, Ishwar Yadav, Gayatri Chandrakar, Gokul Prasad Sahu and Jitendra Verma were partners in this complex.
RMC officials claimed that the complex was posing a hurdle in carrying out beautification works at the pond and its removal would certainly help in speeding up the proposed works here.
The officials claimed of issuing first notice to owners of this complex on August 11, 2011 followed by second notice on August 30, 2011 and third notice on March 5, 2013 to vacant the place.
As the concerned party neither did react on the notices not did it vacant the complex, thus the civic body launched the anti-encroachment drive here. On the occasion, Sharan asked all the zone commissioners to identify encroachments in their respective areas and initiate the actions to remove it. He asked the officials concerned to give priority on the encroachments erected near the reservoirs, if any.