The district administration on Saturday, under strong action against unlawful encroachments, started a demolition drive in Chorkha Kachar village of Ambikapur. The exercise was aimed at illegal constructions erected on forest cover. It also demolished 39 houses that were built illegally in the state-wide anti-encroachment drive.
Notices had been issued before by the forest department to the occupants, warning them to vacate the encroached land. But as the residents did not take any steps, the administration went ahead with the demolition. In a bid to avert any untoward episode against the drive, over 500 police personnel were on duty in addition to the forest officials and the team of the revenue department.
Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao said this in view of the anti-encroachment drives being carried out in the Ambikapur, Raigarh, and other districts of the state. He said that the government will ensure repossession of public land and forest land. The administration provides enough notice and vacate time before acting. Otherwise, when the encroachment is not cleared at will, then it is the only alternative to adopt strict measures, he added.
Sao reiterated that the unlawful occupation of government land causes a lot of problems to the common people, and it is necessary to clear the occupation in the interest of the people. The initiative by the state is meant to recover the forest land and state land owned by the government to ensure that no one can occupy the land illegally.
The recent move in Ambikapur is a part of the continuing process by the administration to maintain land laws and environmental rules. Such drives are likely to increase as the government will further tighten its encroachment crackdown.
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