New Delhi: The proposed anti-encroachment drive on Thursday by South Delhi Municipal Corporation was deferred due to insufficient police force, civic authorities informed. The drive was to be conducted in the city's Kalindi Kunj and Jamia Nagar areas, apart from others such as Okhla, Shaheen Bagh, Jasola, Lodhi Colony, Meherchand Market, Sai Baba Mandir Road, and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in coming days.
The drive was aimed at removing both temporary and permanently encroached structures from government land in the area. "Today's drive in Kalindi Kunj-Jamia Nagar area has been cancelled due to the unavailability of an adequate police force. The police informed us that adequate force cannot be provided for the drive today. We will reschedule the drive accordingly," SDMC Central Zone Chairman Rajpal Singh said. Notably, a similar cancellation, in Jasola and Sarita Vihar, was observed back on April 28.
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This follows the corporation demolishing and removing encroached structures in Karni Singh Shooting Range of Tughlakabad on Wednesday which saw a total of 13 structures cleaned up from the area. The drive is set to continue till May 13. The corporation has also prepared an action plan for the initiative.
The decision to conduct the drive was taken after Adesh Gupta, the Delhi BJP chief, wrote to the BJP-controlled SDMC's Mayor on April 20, requesting removal of habitations of "Rohingyas, Bangladeshis and anti-social elements." The capital has also seen intense protests being mounted by 35 eminent personalities in recent days, who have demanded an immediate ban on the anti-encroachment drive, and issued their demands in a letter to the Delhi government as well as respective municipalities. The persons concerned include economist Jayanti Ghosh, All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) member Malini Bhattacharya and Mariam Dhawale, social activist Anjali Bharadwaj and All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) member Kavita Krishnan.
With agency inputs
