Patna, May 16: The Patna High Court on Monday directed the district administration and Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) to file the progress report with regard to removal of encroachments from different parts of the Bihar capital.

According to the court’s direction in the last hearing, the superintendent of police (traffic), additional commissioner of PMC, Deputy superintendent of police (control room) made their presence before a division bench of Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice Ravi Ranjan and submitted documents relating to videography and still photographs of the roads which had been encroached by squatters, including cow-shed owners. It was subsequently cleared the district administration.

While hearing a public interest litigation of Barun Kumar Sharma and some petitions seeking removal of illegal encroachments from parks and busy roads, the court also appointed PMC commissioner as a nodal officer to monitor the removal of encroachments.

The court also said that if it were not be satisfied with the government’s progress report, then court might constitute a committee of lawyers to inspect the drive to remove encroachments.

The government and the PMC informed the court that they have removed encroachments from areas such as Hathua market, Station Road, Boring Canal Road, New Secretariat, Sheikhpura and Ashiana More. The government is also taking steps to ensure that illegal vendors or squatters do not re-encroach the roads, the government’s lawyer said.

Appearing for one of the petitioners, lawyer Sunil Kumar submitted that despite repeated orders of the court, encroachments from Station Road, Justice BN Ray Road and Rajendra Nagar over-bridge have not been cleared. It has become difficult to even walk on these roads during peak hours, he added.

Taking serious note of it, the court directed the superintendent of police (traffic) to ensure that encroachers do not re-encroach the roads and also directed the officer to install cameras at various thoroughfares to identify the squatters. The court also directed the senior police officer to take action against the squatters.

Holding concerned station house officers (SHOs) of the police stations responsible for ensuring that no land is re-encroached, the court also directed the administration to take stern action against the erring SHOs and concerned officials if vacated area or roads are again encroached.

PMC, in its affidavit, before the court gave an undertaking that it would remove the encroachment made by illegal huts in the triangular park on road no. 8 of SK Nagar within a week.

On the question of having a policy to get rid of the problem of encroachment, the PMC submitted that out of 14 places which it has selected for constructing vending zones, work has already begun in two areas.