Forest department razes over 60 shops in anti-encroachment drive

Forest department launched its first ever anti-encroachment drive near Plaza Market at Kharangajhar in Telco under Govindpur and Telco police station area on Thursday. Over 60 shops were razed in the drive. These shops had been set up on forest land over five decades ago.

The drive started at about 10 am and continued through the afternoon with the help of local police and  excavator.

Dhalbhum divisional forest officer (DFO) Saba Alam Ansari said that a survey of the encroached forest land was conducted and based on the report a drive has been launched.

The DFO said the unauthorised shop keepers were served notices.  “Even today also we had offered the shop-keepers to vacate their shop before the drive began,” said the senior forest officer.

The DFO said they had served notice to 88 shops set up on forest land which will have to be cleared of encroachment today. “ As per our plans after clearing the encroachment we will fence the vacated land and develop it into a nature’s park for the people residing in the surrounding area,” informed Ansari.

Most of the unauthorised shops falling under Govindpur police station area were made of thatched structures and they were almost razed with the help of excavator by 2 pm.

According to district officials, they would ensure that the market place is cleared of any type of encroachments including the manner in which the shopkeepers had extended their shops.

Encroachments in the city are omnipresent and thriving, much to the discomfort of the ordinary citizen. The city is known for the encroachments which blot the urban landscape.

An official said the vendors and kiosks were seized from the places from where the forest department had received complaints.

“We cannot comprise with the safety of market place. Moreover , people also find it inconvenience to move into the market freely with the passages getting choked due to the make-shift shops,” said he said.