Illegal food joints, kiosks pulled down in office hub

BHUBANESWAR: A joint enforcement squad on Wednesday carried out a massive demolition and eviction drive against unauthorized structures around the heads of departments (directorates) office and removed illegal kiosks near Mancheswar and on the stretch between Raj Mahal and Sishu Bhawan Square.
The joint squad comprised officers of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and police.
Seven hotels constructed with bamboo and polythene sheets near the office of the heads of departments were razed to the ground besides six fast food stalls, eight small hotels, and two Ganesh mandaps. "The hotels and stalls were illegally occupying the government land. The area was littered gave the office a cluttered look. Mushrooming of small hotels on the road made it narrower," said an officer engaged in the enforcement drive. The squad used one excavator to pull down the unauthorized structures.
At Mancheswar, the squad removed encroachments around the office of Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency. The squad demolished 21 small hotels, three cabins made out of bamboo and polythene sheets and four fast food joints. There was little resistance during the drive.
The squad also removed illegal structures on the footpath along the stretch between Laxmi Sagar Square and Jharpada Jail road. Police force from Laxmisagar police station was deployed to maintain law and order during the drive.
The stretch between Rajmahal and Sishu Bhawan Square, which has now turned into smart Janpath, witnessed enforcement squads removing kiosks set up on the medians. They also removed banners, posters and sign boards from the stretch.