An eviction drive in a temple land in the heart of the town at Sakhipada here was suspended on Wednesday due to protest from the encroachers. Even neighbours of the encroachers supported the persons who are in unauthorized occupation of the land.
As per information, a huge patch of land of the Janjya Baraha Mandir of Sambalpur town has been encroached by people belonging to outside Odisha and by a few locals as well.
After persuasion, they didn’t vacate the land and finally the temple trust moved the Odisha High Court which adjudicating over the matter had ordered to the local administration for eviction.
Armed with the order, Tehsildar Debenra Nanda and police officers went for eviction of the land. The Tehsildar also served notices to the encroachers earlier to vacate the land by December 12 evening to which they gave a deaf year.
But when the Magistrate and the police officers reached Sakhipada for eviction of land of 37 decimal, there were virulent protests. Situation reached to such an extent that finally the exercise was stopped.
“There was a possibility of law and order situation in the spot. So we stopped the drive,” informed Collector of Sambalpur Samarth Verma. “Since it is an order from the High Court, we have no choice but to execute. Hence, eviction will be done on Thursday at any cost,” Verma said.