Nellore: The encroachment removal drive initiated by the officials of Nellore Municipal Corporation has been causing jitters to those who constructed structures on government land.
Worry started after the civic body’s planning wing officials demolished the 45-feet long compound wall of a 3-Star Hotel constructed on a drainage canal at Dargamitta in the city a couple of days ago.
Although it was a glaring encroachment, officials turned a blind eye because of political interference in the past. However, things changed after a young IAS officer Chakradhar Babu took charge as commissioner of Nellore Municipal Corporation few days ago.
The hotel compound wall came to the notice of the commissioner, who has been paying special attention to sanitation at the instance of urban development minister, Dr P. Narayana, when sanitary staff expressed their inability to clear the drainage block in the area.
According to assistant planning officer G. Varaprasad, all the unauthorised constructions on irrigation and drainage canals will be demolished after serving 24 hours notices soon. Not only encroachments, even violation in construction of buildings and apartments will also face the similar fate.
Municipal officials have identified 30 gross violations in the construction of buildings and apartments and the issues being dealt through the court.
Scores of commercial complexes, which are without parking area, will be sealed, without any mercy. The marriage halls also in for trouble since all of them are unauthorised constructions.
“Although it is mandatory to seek specific permission for marriage halls, no one followed this. They have been constructed after obtaining permission for either residential or commercial complex.
We are also going to deal firmly with marriage halls which encroached the road in Magunta Layout. With respect to an eight-storeyed building constructed in Gandhi Nagar, near Trunk Road against rules, the issue is in Lok Ayukta and we will go by its verdict,” a planning department official said.
