Jamshedpur : In protest against anti encroachment drive JMM activists on Friday blocked the main gate of Jusco at Northern Town area under Bistupur police station for over two hours. �
The JMM activists staged the agitation to protest Jusco demolishing structures set up illegally in BH Area near Ganesh Puja Maidan in Kadma. The JMM delegation later met the general manager town services, Jusco, Dhananjay Mishra apprising about threat to livelihood of poor people who were living from their makeshift shops.
An official of Jusco said that the eviction drive is being taken up in view of a plan to widen the road to enable of operation of buses and traffic through it.
Meanwhile, JMM district spokesperson Babar Khan said that the demonstration was carried in protest against the move to remove makeshift shops. Poor people were earning their daily bread from these shops.
A total of eight residence-cum-shops were removed after two excavators were pressed into service. Though the encroachers had gathered at the spot, but no one dared to protest.
The anti-encroachment drive was carried out on the instruction given by the SDO. A senior official of Jusco when asked said that the utility company will erect a compound wall around the entire maidan for developing it into a park.
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 of 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 be taken to vacate the illegal constructions,� said a district official.
