Rajahmundry: Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation (RMC) authorities on Monday began the process of demolition of illegal constructions in cellars in the city. Town planning personnel, led by deputy town planner Saibaba started the demolition in two cellars on Monday amidst police bandobust and protests by traders.
Tension prevailed for some time at Danavaipet where the town planning personnel started the demolitions with the traders expressed their resentment and raising slogans against the corporation authorities. When owners of a hotel that has been functioning in a cellar refused to hand over the keys, the corporation personnel broke down the door with iron rods and entered inside, and proceeded to demolish the construction in the parking area.
Mr Saibaba said that the RMC has taken up the special drive to demolish illegal constructions in cellars which should be vacant to serve as parking space. He said that many builders have utlised the cellars for commercial purposes, forcing residents of the apartments or shopowners to park their vehicles on the roads, thereby leading to traffic jams.
However, traders led by Chamber of Commerce president B. Venkata Subba Rayudu, former chairman Ashok Kumar Jain, N. Srinivas and others protested against the RMC action. Mr Jain said that the traders sought some time, but their plea was rejected. The traders argued that they have been conducting businesses in these cellars for the past 12 to 20 years yet no one had objected earlier. Sources said that a similar situation was witnessed three months ago, but MLAs A. Satyanarayana G. Buchaiah Chowdary intervened and stopped the demolitions. Their phones were switches off on Monday.
The Corporation has identified 120 illegal constructions in cellars in Rajahmundry city and issued demolition notices to 50 owners. RMC Commissioner R. Vijaya Ramaraju said that all illegal constructions in the city would be demolished.
