Demolition drive called off due to lack of police force

NEW DELHI: An anti-encroachment drive scheduled to take place in northwest Delhi’s Sultanpuri area was cancelled on Thursday due to unavailability of adequate police force, civic authorities said. According to a North Delhi Municipal Corporation official, the drive to remove temporary and permanent encroachment from roads and government land was scheduled at Sultanpuri’s Jagdamba market. 

“The anti-encroachment drive was scheduled to be carried out in Jagdamba Market area of Sultanpuri for Thursday but it did not take place as we could not get adequate police force,” the official said, adding that an encroachment removal drive was cancelled on Wednesday too at Sultanpuri’s Fish Market area due to unavailability of police force. 

A series of anti-encroachment drives were conducted by the three civic bodies in different parts of the city in the last month, including Shaheen Bagh, Jahangirpuri, Madanpur Khadar, New Friends Colony, Mangolpuri, and Rohini.

Last month, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation had come under fire from several civil rights groups and opposition parties after it bulldozed structures in violence-hit Jahangirpuri area during an anti-encroachment drive. The drive was stopped after the intervention of the Supreme Court.

With agency inputs