Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) reclaimed significant stretches of encroached government land after carrying out a large-scale eviction drive in Shampur mouza, under Bharatpur police limits, here on Thursday.
Joint Commissioner Ranjan Kumar Jena led the operation, which was conducted under the direction of BDA vice-chairman Chanchal Rana.
Six JCB machines were pressed into service to demolish unauthorised structures in the area.
On the first day itself, as many as 187 houses, including 31 under-construction buildings, were razed. It resulted in nearly 8 acres of land being cleared.
Officials recovered 72 LPG cylinders, including 21 small cylinders, from an encroached house during the drive. The seized cylinders were handed over to the Civil Supplies Department for further action.
Around 10 platoons of police force, along with 50 officers, were deployed at the site to ensure law and order was maintained during the operation.
The eviction process went off smoothly, with no major untoward incident being reported, officials said.
The eviction drive is part of BDA’s efforts to remove illegal encroachments and facilitate planned urban development in Bhubaneswar.
The civic body had issued multiple notices to residents and made public announcements through loudspeakers before carrying out the operation, urging encroachers to vacate the land voluntarily. Action was taken only after due process, authorities informed.
Rana appealed to residents occupying government land illegally to vacate, as the eviction drive will continue until all encroachments are cleared.
In December 2023, the BDA had filed an FIR with Economic Offences Wing (EOW), alleging illegal encroachment and sale of portions of the 68-acre land by land mafias.
