Bhubaneswar, Aug. 11: Bulldozers were rolled out today to start the process of setting up a multi-storey building to house a few government departments near the police headquarters at Unit-V here today.
A joint eviction team consisting of officials of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), general administration department, roads and buildings wing of the public works department and police demolished a large number of illegal shanties, shops and dwellings.
The state government has planned to set up three separate towers of nine storeys each to house several of its offices. The first phase of the proposed building project will be taken up at the space where the existing offices of town planning, agriculture and health stand. Today's demolition drive was undertaken around these government offices.
"Around 50 makeshift shops, concrete structures, slums and religious structures were demolished," said BDA enforcement officer Pramod Patro.
He said the roads and building department officials had requisitioned the drive that was carried out today in presence of police personnel.
The eviction team carried out its work in two shifts today. Several shops were left untouched by the team during the drive. The officials said that these shops had been allotted to some people by the government agencies. Hence they would be evicted after notices were served to them following proper procedure.
"They will be given three months time after notice is served. After that, the structures would be brought down," said an official.
After the private contractor demolishes the existing buildings, shifting of the offices housed there will begin.
The construction of the three towers, which will come up on one lakh square feet, is estimated at Rs 124 crore. An official of the roads and buildings said the first tower would come up on 3,000sqft at the site where the town planning building presently stands.
The building will have a conference hall on the top along with parking space, greenery and rain-harvesting facilities.
