Prayagraj: The crackdown against over two dozen jailed gangsters, history-sheeters and mafias including ex-MP Atiq Ahmad by joint teams of police, district administration and Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA), especially from August onwards, has resulted in a loss of over Rs 700 crore for them till now. Joint teams of PDA, police and administration claimed to have freed at least 34 prime properties from the clutches of gangsters, mafia dons and history-sheeters in the city, trans Ganga and Yamuna areas.
After the announcement made by chief minister Yogi Adityanath that land reclaimed from gangsters in the ongoing drive against the mafia will be used for constructing houses and given to poor, lawyers, teachers and media persons on “no profit and no loss basis,” the officials of Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) have drafted a blueprint to develop five plots freed as part of the drive at Panki ki tanki, Nawab Yusuf road, Lukerganj and Mehdauri areas for different purposes.
Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) Zonal Officer, Sat Shukla exclusively told TOI that the PDA would develop a free left turn and a police outpost at around 200 square freed land near Pani Ki Tanki area. This land was freed from the clutches of a gangster during the drive.
He further added that a mega vehicle parking would be developed on around 500 square feet land at Nawab Yusuf road area under the smart city project by the PDA and PMC. This land was freed from the clutches of don turned politician and ex-MP Atiq Ahmad.
Moreover, a residential colony would be developed on two plots spread around 7,000 square feet and 3,800 square feet area at Lukerganj area on no profit and no loss basis. These two plots were freed from the clutches of ex-MP Atiq Ahmad on August 13 as the plots were grabbed on the Nazool land. Besides, PDA has also drafted a blueprint to develop a colony at around two bighas of land (state land) which was freed from the close aide of ex-MP Atiq Ahmad, one Hamza Usman, at Mehdauri area on August 11.
He further added that apart from these lands, officials of PDA are thoroughly probing the nature of freed lands and corrective measures would be initiated accordingly. Shukla, meanwhile, said that joint teams of PDA, police and administration have not only freed grabbed land from the clutches of over two dozen mafia and gangsters but also demolished the illegal structures in the city, trans Ganga and Yamuna areas.
A senior cop said that after investigating and compiling documents that expose the wealth accumulated by gangsters and mafia done in Civil Lines, Mehdauri, Kareli, Khuldabad, Lukerganj, Andhawa Crossing road, Roshan Bagh, Kareli, Chakia, Jhalwa, the police have chalked out a plan to attach properties and demolish illegal structures besides initiating their confiscation under the Gangsters Act. He added that many illegal constructions by Atiq’s henchmen in Mehdauri and Bajupur were razed and government land freed.
“Cops are taking concrete steps such as seizure, demolition and attachment of the properties,” said the police official. “There are more than a dozen gangsters, and mafias whose properties would be seized or illegal structures would be razed to the ground,” he added.