Concerned over squatting in the vicinity of Metro stations across the city, a high power committee has been set to initiate encroachment removal drive. Recently, DMRC has sent a letter to the Transport Department to form a committee to clear illegal possession, regular monitoring to prevent encroachment and proper upkeep of metro stations.
Director (operations) of DMRC Sharat Sharma wrote a letter to the Commissioner Transport urging them to form committees to initiate drives for removing illegal encroachment for proper upkeep of Metro stations. In view of the heavy encroachment around Metro premises, the City has been divided in nine zones — North East, New Delhi, North, East and Shahdara, South West, West, North West, South and Central. “Each zone is under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) who will supervise and monitor the work of the drive in each division to remove encroachment,” said an official of the Transport Department.
DMRC officials have also been nominated for committee and they will act as member secretary of each committee. “Apart from Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) two officers from the Enforcement Branch of Transport Department will be inducted in the committee who will carry on drive every week at 140 metro station under Phase 1 and Phase II,” he added.
Nikhil Kumar (DC-Revenue) of South West said that they have received an order recently and members of PWD, Delhi traffic police and DMRC officials will help them in carrying out the work for upkeep of metro station. A senior official of transport department said till now around 2,500 families are illegally occupying the area outside Metro stations and the number is expected to rise if drive is not initiated regularly.
However, the Transport Department put blame on Municipal Corporation for the squatting, saying that several letters were sent to the MCD to carry on drives in and around busiest Metro stations in the past, but due to lackadaisical attitude, they fail to check.
It has decided that DC (North-East) Amit Kumar Jain will be incharge of North East division, while Rakesh Kumar Roshan will be incharge of North division. PK Pathak and AK Dwivedi will take care of North West and West respectively. South and Central division will be monitored by AK Dwivedi.