Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) on Friday initiated a large-scale eviction drive in the Shampur mauza under Bharatpur police limits in the Odisha capital.
According to sources, a 150-member team of BDA, officials of Central Enforcement Monitoring Committee (CEMC) are engaged in the operation to clear nearly 68 acres of illegally encroached land using 10 JCB machines. Seven platoons of force, including 20 officers, have also been deployed to maintain law and order in the area.
Announcements via loudspeakers informed residents of the ongoing action, with officials stating that prior notic
es had been pasted and public announcements made about the drive’s commencement. “We had pasted notices and announced that the eviction drive will start from today,” a BDA official said while acknowledging that some locals are protesting against the move.
“They have demolished my house but we should be allowed to gather our belongings. I had purchased this land for Rs 1 lakh,” a man, whose house was razed to the ground, said, claiming he was not notified earlier.
Several protestors were detained and taken away in police vans. The eviction drive will continue till Sunday (April 19).
The land in question was transferred to the BDA by the General Administration department. An enforcement team of the agency in January 2024 had to stop the eviction midway after demolishing construction on 23 plots as a section of people had then strongly protested the move. It also filed an FIR with the EOW alleging encroachment and illegal sale of portions of the 68 acre land by land sharks in December 2023.