Jamshedpur, May 19: District administration today launched anti-encroachment drive at commercial hub of Jugsalai and residential areas of Kadma.
The drive to free encroachments began first at Jugsalai, Station Road between Jugsalai Municipality and Ghoda Chowk.
The five-hour long drive began at 11.30 am was led by Jugsalai municipality special officer Surendra Prasad.
�As per directive of Dhalbhum SDO (Suraj Kumar) in the presence of adequate police force (around 50).
We not only removed the illegal extensions but also fined the offenders. A total of Rs 50,000 was levied from the offenders,� said Jugsalai municipality special officer Surendra Prasad.
During the drive, illegal extensions of nearly 70 shops were removed using a JCB earthmover by the Jugsalai municipality.
� We want to ease traffic movement removed the illegal extensions made by the shopkeepers not only on the drains but also on the roads. This apart there have been complaints of traffic congestion due to encroachment on roads and we cleared the encroachment,� said Surendra Prasad.
According to the Jugsalai special official similar anti-encroachment drive would be carried out in Jugsalai on a regular basis.
Several shop owners tried to disrupt the proceedings and protest the drive but the district administration was prepared to deal with them and police swayed away the protestors.
The common people and residents of Jugsalai thanked the district administration for removing encroachment from the most busy area of the city.
The drive returned from near the ice factory and moved up towards the municipality and Goushala road but the shop owners themselves removed the goods kept outside their shops.
BJP spokesperson Anil Modi protested against the drive saying the administration should have informed the shopkeepers before launching the drive which would have helped them remove the goods from outside their shops and also break construction on illegal land. Several shop owners who had constructed stairs illegally were removed by the administration.
Meanwhile, Dhalbhum SDO Suraj Kumar himself led an anti-encroachment drive at the residential area of Kadma in the presence of DSP headquarter II Amar Pandey.
Three concrete structures were demolished at Ramnagar (Kadma) and two kiosks at Anil Sur Path in Kadma.