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| CMC officials carry out the eviction drive from Badambadi up to Link road on Wednesday. Picture by Badrika Nath Das |
Cuttack, Jan. 9: Roadside encroachments from the Badambadi bus terminus area here were cleared today during an eviction drive launched by authorities of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation amid heavy police deployment.
Over three platoons of police force were deployed there during the drive that was launched to decongest major roads, which were encroached by squatters.
Over 60 to 70 temporary shops and kiosks and over 30 roadside vendors, who had set up their business on the thoroughfare from Badambadi Chhak in front of Jayshree theatre up to Link Road, were demolished by the special squad of the civic body.
Many temporary kiosks had come up along the boundary wall of the Jayshree cinema hall and in front of various shops managed by the civic body.
The civic body has allotted 18 shops near Jayshree cinema hall while bulk of the kiosks had come up illegally.
“We have demolished illegal set-ups from Badambadi to Link Road in the first phase. The drive would continue for another 15 days,” said secretary of the civic body Laxmidhar Nath.
Nath added: “According to the order of the Orissa High Court, all roadside encroachments at busy streets would be removed during the drive.”
Commuters face a lot of difficulties on the busy stretch of Badambadi to Link Road though it is one of the widest roads in the city, thanks to encroachments and parked buses.
However, many commuters feel that the eviction drive is an eyewash as the roads get re-encroached a few days after such drives.
A corporation official, on condition of anonymity, said: “A similar drive would also be launched from Kanika Chhak to Sun hospital, Cuttack railway station to Chandi Mandir via Buxi Bazar, settlement office to Cuttack sweets stall at Ranihat.”
Roadside encroachments along the Taladanda canal from Tinigharia to Matagajpur, Khapuria, Kaliaboda, Nua Bazar will also be cleared in subsequent phases.