In a significant move to reclaim public land, officials from the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) conducted a major eviction operation in the Gadakana area on Friday. The drive, executed peacefully without requiring police intervention, successfully liberated approximately three acres of valuable government land from illegal occupation.
Scale of the Eviction Operation
The enforcement team demolished a substantial number of unauthorized structures during the crackdown. The list of demolished constructions included 14 concrete houses, four cattle sheds made of tin or stone, and seven bathrooms. Furthermore, the officials removed two iron gates, two water tanks, one house that was under construction, and roughly 300 feet of bamboo fencing that had been erected around the encroached plots.
Officials Oversee Peaceful Drive
The operation was supervised by senior BDA officers, including Debaraj Sethi, the Officer on Special Duty (Enforcement), and Subhransu Sekhar Mohanty, the Liaison Officer. Mohanty emphasized the efficiency of the drive, highlighting its swift completion and the immediate focus on clearing the resulting debris from the site. This approach underscores the authority's commitment to not just evict but also restore the land promptly.
Part of a Larger Citywide Crackdown
This action in Gadakana is not an isolated event but part of a concerted, citywide push to reclaim public land from illegal settlers. Recent discussions in the state assembly have identified several encroachment hotspots within the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation limits, including Jaydev Vihar, Patia, Chandrasekharpur, and Gadakana. Shockingly, over 500 acres of government land in the city are currently under illegal occupation.
Authorities report significant progress in this ongoing battle. Through coordinated efforts by the Central Enforcement Monitoring Committee—which includes officials from BDA, BMC, the general administration department, and the commissionerate police—more than 70 acres of land have been reclaimed since the beginning of this year.
To prevent re-encroachment on cleared plots, the authorities are taking proactive measures such as constructing boundary walls. Legal actions against the offenders continue under relevant laws, including the Orissa Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1972, and the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act, 2003. This multi-pronged strategy of eviction, fortification, and legal recourse aims to secure public assets for the city's planned development.
