Illegal encroachments cleared after prolonged legal battle in Raichur

After a prolonged legal battle, the Raichur City Corporation on Tuesday cleared illegal encroachments on the Mantralayam Road in Raichur city.

Several shops erected using tin sheds had come up on municipal land along the Raichur-Mantralayam Road, from which various businesses were being run for years.

In the wake of recurrence of accidents on the busy road, the general public and various organisations had repeatedly urged the municipal corporation to clear the encroachments to save lives.

However, notices served to the shopkeepers to vacate were questioned in the local court and also the High Court of Karnataka, which prevented the municipal authorities from taking action.

The corporation had issued notices to the illegal occupants and they had challenged the move in court.

As per the principle of natural justice, the CMC had asked the tin shed owners and tenants to prove their ownership and rights through production of requisite documents.

However, the latter had failed to produce the requisite documents in support of their claims, sources said.

 “On perusal of documents submitted by the occupants and conducting spot mahazar, the authorities found them to be fake and the corporation passed the encroachments clearance order,” they added.

In his order on clearing 35 tin sheds in Raichur, Commissioner of City Corporation Jubin Mohapatra had stated that fake construction permission had been submitted to them and it had been confirmed after thorough scrutiny that the 35 tin sheds had been erected illegally and consequently, they had to be removed on Tuesday.

Advocate Shivashankar, who represented the corporation before the local court, told The Hindu that it was a long battle that the corporation faced before different courts.

The action was initiated after Deputy Commissioner Nitish K. and Mr. Mohapatra took a decision to put an end to the issue to protect corporation property by clearing encroachments, he said.

Accordingly, on Tuesday, the tin sheds were removed in the presence of a big posse of police personnel.