Ahead of CM' s Khatiyani Johar Yatra on July 31, the district administration on Saturday removed years old encroachment from Rankini Mandir to Uliyan Chowk in Kadma. A joint team of police and Tata Steel UISL carried out the drive.
A total of 50 residence-cum-shops were removed after excavators were pressed into service. Though the encroachers had gathered at the spot, no one dared to protest. They claimed that no notice was served to them. The drive was launched prior to notice.
The officials said that the land on which the unauthorised kiosks and shops existed belonged to Tata Steel. The civic body on behalf of Tata Steel had approached the SDO, Dhalbhum for removing the encroachment. The anti-encroachment drive was carried out on the instruction given by the SDO. Kadma Police officials said that no one came forward to resisting the move.
A senior official of Tata Steel UISL when asked said that the utility company will erect a compound wall to stop encroachment.
Kadma, Bistupur, Sakchi and Jugsalai, which are the busiest areas of the town, over fifty fruit vendors and vegetable sellers have encroached the road and there are always a traffic jam as the fruit vendors have occupied one fourth portion of the road, making difficult to move the heavy vehicles.
The SDO said that similar to the Sakchi operation, they would be clearing encroachments and taking photographs of cleared space and handing it over to the local police stations (Bistupur police in this case) and local civic body (Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee).
“This is done to ensure that squatters do not set up their makeshift kiosks and establishment do not put up extensions once the drive is over. After the drive is over it would be the onus of the police and JNAC to ensure that roads, pavements and drains remain encroachment free,” added the officials.
He hinted that similar drives would be carried out in other commercial areas like Sonari, Kadma, Jugsalai, Golmuri, Burmamines and Mango.
Traders outfit remained silent on the issue and unlike Sakchi preferred to remain away from the scene of the drive on the first day.
“Registered traders have decided not to protest administration's drive as in the long run it would benefit the shopkeepers only. Free passageways and enough parking space would bring more customers to the shops,” said Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).
However, shopkeepers preferring not to be quoted said that the drive's real test would be inside the market, especially in the fruit markets which are dominated by influential persons of a particular community.
Encroachments in the city are omnipresent and thriving, much to the discomfort of the ordinary citizen. Be it the road, parks, pavements, markets or public land taken over in the name of religion, the city is known for the encroachments which blot the urban landscape.
Sources informed that several illegal jhuggis and shops have been raised in areas in Mango, Golpahari, Loco Colony, Karandih, Jugsalai, Sakchi and Bistupur. Though several times the anti-encroachment drives have been carried but due to support of local goons the people are able to intrude the land again.
“The eviction drive is being taken up in view of a plan to widen the road to enable the operation of buses and traffic through it. Encroachment of public land in the city has become an urban eyesore. It has brought traffic movement to a crawl. Steps need to be taken to vacate the illegal constructions,” said a district official.