Anti-encroachment drive in Jamshedpur: 200 make-shift houses removed from 10 acres of land, 70 persons taken into custody

Jamshedpur, March 24: The district administration on carried out an eviction drive evicting about 10 acres of government land in Khasmahal under Parsudih police station area on Wednesday.

Encroachment was also removed from two more places that are Golpahadi area in Parsudih and in adjoining Sundernagar area where the slum-dwellers had encroached government land during the past fortnight.

During the drive, a section of the encroachers protested the administration’s move, the police personnel used force and took them into custody and were put in a camp-jail set up on the premises of Jamshedpur Block Office in Parsudih.

Revealing about the fresh drive, Circle Officer, Jamshedpur block, Amit Srivastav said that the administration removed as many as 200 make-shift houses from about 10 acres of government land in Khaasmahal since the the past fortnight.

“After the drive, the government land in Khasmahal is clear of any encroachment following the anti-encroachment drive carried out by the administration. To ensure that the slum-dwellers can not re-encroach the land we have instructed various government organizations which had allotted land in Khasmahal may put up boundary walls around the allotted land, ” said Srivastav.

The CO, on being asked, said the administration is also contemplating to set up temporary police picket at the troubled spot.

Encroachment on government and common land and its misuse for monetary gains is fast emerging as an organised crime in the city with certain dominant persons allegedly involved in it. Despite claims by the authorities, larger parts in the city are still under control of several unscrupulous persons.

 Sources also informed that that there have been cases in which people have encroached ponds and have built their houses illegally.

 “Encroachment of public land in the city has become an urban eyesore. It has brought traffic movement to a crawl. Steps would be taken to vacate the illegal constructions,” said an official.

When questioned over how the land is encroached, an official commented, ‘‘once a land is encroached on by number of poor persons, the encroachers’ mafia moves in on the social justice platform and backed by local politicians and goons, gets the illegal settlement regularised. This, in turn, encourages further encroachment.’’

The administration also removed encroachment from Golpahadi in Parsudih and also in adjoining Sundernagar area where the slum- dwellers had grabbed vacant government land getting enthusiastic with the act of encroachment in Khasmahal during the past fortnight.

In all 400 police personnel had been pressed into service beside more than one earth-movers during the drive which was led by SDO, Dhalbhum, Nitesh Kumar Singh. Superintendent of police (city), Subhash Chandra Jat who was leading the police personnel said that in all 70 persons have been taken into custody and put in a camp-jail set up on the Jamshedpur block office premises.

To clear Khasmahal land of the encroachers and after the eviction drive will set up a post of armed police at the evicted land so as to ensure that the encroachers may not grab the land once again.The CO said the administration has registered a case against six persons for enticing the adjoining slum-dwellers for the encroachment.