Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) on Tuesday conducted an anti-encroachment drive on government land at Kalarahanga mouza in Bhubaneswar and cleared a significant portion of illegally occupied land despite resistance from encroachers.

Authorities clear encroached land under CEMC programme

The eviction operation was carried out on government land under Plot No. 1683 as part of the scheduled CEMC eviction programme, said the BDA in a release on Tuesday.

The drive was supervised by BDA Joint Commissioner (Enforcement) Ranjan Kumar, while Deputy Director of the General Administration Department Amiya Kumar Das oversaw field-level operations. Officials from multiple enforcement units and police personnel were present during the operation to maintain law and order.

According to officials, teams from BDA Enforcement Squads 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8, along with the Junior Enforcement Officer (JEO), Revenue Inspector of the GA Department and personnel from Infocity Police Station participated in the drive.

During the eviction, authorities demolished three under-construction houses, six ACC sheet houses, a chicken shop, a cabin, a kabadi store, four toilets and a water tank allegedly constructed illegally on government land. Around 150 feet of iron fencing erected over the encroached area was also removed.

Officials said nearly 0.300 decimal acres of valuable government land were freed from encroachment following the operation. The eviction drive is scheduled to continue on Tuesday as well.

BDA Vice-Chairman Chanchal Rana said the anti-encroachment campaign would continue in different parts of Bhubaneswar to safeguard government land from illegal occupation and facilitate future development projects.