Encroachments In Bhubaneswar: HC Issues Notice To BMC On Contempt Plea

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has issued a notice to commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on non-compliance of its order on encroachments on public roads at Station Square in the capital city.

The High Court has sought the response of the commissioner after hearing a plea of Rabinandan Mohanty, a hotel owner in the locality, seeking contempt action against the BMC commissioner.

Earlier, Mohanty had filed a PIL in the court seeking direction to the BMC to clear the encroachments from the roads. The high court disposed of the petition in January, 2019 with a direction to the BMC to issue an order on the matter within six weeks.

Mohanty again filed again filed a contempt petition recently for non-compliance of the high court order. Taking up the petition on Friday, two-judge bench of Justice Jaswant Singh and Justice SK Panigrahi directed additional government advocate PP Mohanty to seek instructions from the BMC by March 22, 2022.

The petitioner contended that the encroachments continued in his area in violation of the Orissa Municipal Corporation Act 2003 which prohibits any kind of structures which obstruct the roads. The law also prohibits a pubic road to be used for any other purpose by private parties or the state.