Kakinada: Tense moments as KMC removes encroachments

Kakinada: Tension prevailed on Thursday when Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC) authorities removed 34 permanent house sheds, which were constructed on government land at Ayodhya Nagar here. Heavy police force was deployed to prevent untoward incidents in the process of the removal of encroachments. With the help of JCBs, the authorities removed their houses, in the presence of KMC Commissioner K Ramesh Babu, DSP V Bheema Rao, MRO YHS Sathish and others.

KMC Commissioner Ramesh said that a private party has donated 1,400 square yards to KMC. These 34 families have occupied that land and built permanent house sheds. He informed that a case was filed in 2016 and ultimately the court gave a verdict in favour of the KMC.

The court also ordered for vacating these families from the illegally occupied site. He said that as an alternative and humanitarian gesture, the KMC has provided sites to the 34 families at Komaragiri village of Kakinada Rural.

The Commissioner said that as per KMC guidelines and HC orders, notices for evacuation are served to the owners of these sheds. When the people were reluctant to vacate, the High Court again issued orders for complete removal of the sheds and evacuation of illegal occupants. He said that the KMC informed the occupants about HC orders and the consequent evacuation of the occupants. He said that as per the High Court orders they were compelled to leave their dwellings and as part of Navaratna scheme, the KMC allotted sites to them at Komaragiri. But when the occupants are not vacating the sheds, with the help of police, revenue, Transco, fire and other departments, they have removed 34 house sheds, he said.

TDP senior leader and former MLA Vanamadi Venkateswar Rao (Kondababu) condemned the forcible eviction of the owners in Ayodhya Nagar and termed it as an atrocious deed. He said the 34 families has been living at the site for the last few decades.

The Commissioner stated that the forcible evacuation by the police in the early hours was a ruthless human operation whereby the poor were forced to quit without a house to live. Without providing any houses and sites, the KMC was forcing victims to stand in the open sites in the rainy season, he criticised.

Venkateswar Rao said that during the TDP regime, they had sanctioned single bed apartments under TIDCO scheme. But under the direction of Kakinada city MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy, the poor were rendered homeless and driven out in the torrential rains. He assured that he would stand by the affected victims in Ayodhya Nagar.