Nov. 12: The residents of Ananda Nagar have accused the Kamrup (metro) administration of misleading Gauhati High Court on encroachment of public roads in their locality.
Contradicting the contents of a PIL submitted in the court, the district administration had claimed that there were no roadside encroachments in the area.
The petitioners, mostly residents of the locality, including senior citizens, have taken strong exception to the district administration’s claim. They have even filed a counter petition challenging the statements made by the district administration on roadside encroachments.
The residents said systematic encroachment has taken such proportions that the road in some areas has become so narrow that manoeuvring through the traffic is getting progressively hellish.
The petitioners, Ananga Mohan Dey and others, had also urged the court to constitute a commission to conduct an independent inquiry into the matter.
According to the petitioners, Ananda Nagar in Christian Basti under municipal wards 24 and 43 was bereft of basic civic amenities for long. They even claimed that over the years the residents have brought the matter to the notice of the government through verbal as well as written representations but their grievances are yet to be redressed. Following the failure of the government agencies to discharge their statutory duties and obligations, they were compelled to seek judicial intervention
Besides encroachments, other problems highlighted by the residents in the PIL were waterlogging and garbage pile-up.
They stated that despite repeated pleas no remedial steps have been taken by the authorities to clear roadside encroachment, construct pucca drains, prevent encroachment on natural drainage channels, solve the garbage problem and install streetlights.
The court had issued notices to Guwahati Municipal Corporation and the public works department in this case. In its affidavit, the GMC said it had installed 18 streetlights in the area and other schemes will also be taken up in due course of time as the area will be covered under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
