CMC officials and police launch eviction drive along Bajrakabati road, Dolmundai Square and Badambadi road in Cuttack. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, June 8: City police and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) have launched a massive eviction drive to clear encroachments that have been hindering the smooth flow of traffic at various busy thoroughfares in the city.

Illegal encroachments from Bajrakabati road to Khannagar were evicted in the presence of officials of the CMC and police today.

“Following the high court order, the traffic management committee has decided to launch an eviction drive to clear encroachments which are creating problems in the free flow of traffic on major roads in the city,” said deputy commissioner of police Praveen Kumar.

Kumar said various locations had been identified for the anti-encroachment drive at a meeting chaired by police commissioner B.K. Sharma on June 3.

The committee had also decided to launch an anti-encroachment drive from the busy Ranihaat, Buxi bazaar to Choudhury Bazar and other prominent places including Badambadi and Darghabazar areas in the city.

“All roadside vendors and other encroachments would be evicted during the drive. Steps will also be taken to ensure that the evicted places are not re-encroached, which is possible through effective monitoring,” Kumar added.

Today, roadside vendors were evicted from the entire stretch of the road from Bajrakabati to Khannagar via Dolmundai Square.

A number of vendors also opposed the drive claiming that no prior notice was served in this regard.

“We have been doing business along the roadside for almost 10 to 15 years. Today, all of a sudden, the officials came and evicted us and took our belongings without any prior notice. We want the CMC to rehabilitate us by establishing vending zones similar to the ones that have come up in Bhubaneswar,” said Jaykrushna Barik, a vendor.

“How can the officials evict without initiating steps to provide us an alternative arrangement where we can carry on with our business?” said another vendor.

Apart from roadside vendors, part of a shopping mall and other small shops that had encroached on a large portion the road were also razed.

Police sources said work to streamline traffic on the Mangalabag-SCB road had already begun and soon a parking lot for two-wheelers would be established to decrease traffic congestion on the busy stretch.

The entire traffic management plan is also being reviewed and the senior officials are also contemplating to introduce “one-way traffic” at a few places in the city.

On the other hand, CMC officials said the anti-encroachment drive had been launched to ensure a free flow of traffic in the larger interest of the people and such drives would continue in the city.

“The eviction drive was peaceful today and special squads comprising officials of CMC and the police will monitor the developments and ensure that there is no possibility of re-encroachments,” said CMC secretary Ashutosh Samal.

Samal said there was no need to serve notice for roadside evictions as there was already a standing order from the court in this connection.

The CMC has plans to set up vending zones in a number of places and those are expected to come up soon.