Cuttack, April 10: Orissa High Court today asked for the view of the director-general of police about a suggestion made by the revenue divisional commissioner (central division) that a special unit of police force be formed to remove encroachments and unauthorised constructions from Cuttack city.

The court was taking stock of whether orders issued on petitions related to civic problems of the city had been complied with.

“A division bench of Justice M.M. Das and Justice Indrajit Mohanty passed the order on the issue of eviction of unauthorised constructions in Cuttack city directing the director-general of police to give his opinion on the next date of hearing, April 24, on the revenue divisional commissioner’s suggestion,” state counsel Sisir Das told The Telegraph.

“In response to an earlier order, revenue divisional commissioner (central division) Arabinda Padhee had submitted a suggestion to the court that a special unit of three platoons of police be formed to be deployed exclusively during eviction operations involving demolition of unauthorised constructions in Cuttack city,” Das said.

“This was necessary to carry out the eviction operations, as in most cases public protest is likely to be involved. Besides, undertaking such operations has not been possible as the required platoons of police are usually not available,” the state counsel said.

The revenue divisional commissioner (central division) had responded to the court’s direction on March 20 for a compliance report on an order passed to demolish “unauthorised constructions of religious nature” in Cuttack Municipal Corporation area. On January 6, 2011, the high court had ordered demolition of “religious institutions” built after 1987 on government land without permission from the authorities and which did not find mention in the Record of Rights of 1987.

Subsequently, the chief secretary had formed a committee under the chairmanship of the revenue divisional commissioner (central zone), Cuttack and other members to implement the order.