East Singhbhum district administration embarked on a massive anti-encroachment campaign in its biggest urban slum of Birsanagar to free Government land of
structures built allegedly by land mafias.
The drive started at a densely populated area of Birsanagar Zone II which falls under Jamshedpur East constituency. Jawans of Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) were present and Birsanagar police station led by DSP city Animesh Nathani accompanying the drive conducted in the presence of Dhalbhum SDO Suraj Kumar and Jamshedpur circle officer Manoj Kumar.
An official said that 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.
During the drive a four-storied (G+3) structures built on over 4,000 sq ft of land in Birsanagar Zone II for commercial purpose by a builder being demolished using four poclains (excavators).
Dhalbhum SDO Suraj Kumar said that a builder identified as Vishal Palsania had encroached on the government land and a case under Bihar Public land Encroachment Act -1966 (BPlE Act) was lodged by the Jamshedpur circle officer in the Jamshedpur civil court in October 2015 and only after the court order are we carrying out the encroachment drive. The drive will continue for few more days as this is a massive structure.
The SDO further said that a survey is being carried out by Jamshedpur circle officer and the local (Birsanagar) police station official for identifying similar encroachment of government lands by builders and other illegal structures.
According to sources in the administration the property being built by the builder was worth over `2 crore. The administration will also demolish boundary walls illegally built on government land in Birsangar.
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.