The Delhi Government’s Public Works Department (PWD) has asked its field employees to provide suggestions to check recurrence of encroachments on its roads in the Capital.
PWD's engineer-in-chief, Rakesh Kumar Agrawal has directed field staff to be “vigilant” so that recurrence of encroachment does not take place, a senior official said.
The direction was issued at a recently-held meeting that was chaired by Agrawal, according to the official. The PWD owns around 1,260-km roads in the national Capital. “All the field staffs have been asked to give suggestions on how to check recurrence of encroachments on roads owned by the Public Works Department.
“They (field staff) know the ground reality that is why they have been asked to send their suggestions to the engineer-in-chief,” the official said.
The PWD is providing logistics to civic bodies for removal of encroachments on its roads.
The official furthers said no field staff will issue any notice for removal of any encroachment on PWD roads. Such right lies with the MCD only. The PWD has to provide manpower and machinery for removal of encroachments, he said.
The minutes of the meeting stated, “Field staff should be regularly vigilant that recurrence of encroachment does not take place and if it happens again, the same may be reported to the special task force, the MCD and the Delhi Police for removal of the same.”
In January, several AAP legislators had demanded PWD Minister Satyendar Jain that the department be given powers to remove encroachments from roads to ensure smooth vehicular movement.
“During the meeting, most of the MlAs demanded that the Public Works Department should be given power to remove encroachment which causes traffic congestion. At present, municipal corporations have such powers,” Jain had said.
The anti-encroachment drives are being carried out in the city on the directions of a special task force that was formed by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry. Special Task Force (STF) constituted by the Supreme Court on Saturday conducted ongoing anti-encroachment removal drive in areas of Green Park Extension, lajpat Nagar, Rk Puram Sector, Captain Gaur Marg, Aurobindo Marg, Central Market, Krishna Nagar, Hukumchand marg, Tilak Nagar and Sagarpur. North and East Corporations also conducted a similar drive in its jurisdiction and seized several items.
South Corporation has seized 54 vehicles and removed several permanent and non permanent structures. The civic body also challaned six vehicles and recovered Rs 9,150. Besides, Traffic police also challaned 43 vehicles, a senior SDMC official said.
East Delhi Municipal Corporation has also demolished four properties at Farash Bazaar,Geeta Colony,Gandhi Nagar and Jagat Puri area. In a similar drive, North Delhi Municipal Corporation also impounded 16 vehicles and seized 39 different articles.