Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 19 : Sambhal Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vikas Chandra on Thursday said that an anti-encroachment drive is underway in designated parts of the city, with several sites already identified for action. Among these, a significant removal was carried out in Shehbazpur village, where a graveyard had illegally expanded beyond its allotted area.
Speaking to ANI, the SDM said, "We have marked a few places where the anti-encroachment drive will be conducted... In Shehbazpur village, the graveyard should have been 1.9 hectares; they had built a boundary of almost 2.3 hectares, and that encroachment has now been removed..."
Earlier Sunday, the Sambhal administration initiated an anti-encroachment drive across the Bahjoi, Chandausi, Sambhal, and Sirsi areas.
Speaking to reporters, Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya said, "If someone encroaches upon government land, they are given a 15-day notice, after which the person is requested to remove the encroachment himself or else we will have to remove it. The anti-encroachment drive is underway in all four areas - Bahjoi, Chandausi, Sambhal and Sirsi.
On May 20, the district administration carried out a demolition drive to clear encroachments on public roads as part of a broader effort to enhance the city's appearance.
The Executive Officer of Sambhal Municipal Council, Mani Bhushan Tiwari, detailing the beautification plan with ANI, had informed that the demolition drive to remove encroachment was carried out, given the administration's plan to install the statues of great personalities associated with the district.
The officer earlier informed that the statue of Maharana Pratap will be installed at Chandausi Chauraha, and the statues of Lord Parashuram and Ahilyabai Holkar will be installed at Shankar Chauraha and Manokamna Tiraha Park, respectively.
"Efforts are underway to beautify Sambhal, and our main intersections include Chandausi Chauraha, Shankar Chauraha and Manokamna Tiraha Park. We will install statues of great men associated with Sambhal at these three places. Work is going on to widen the roads so that we can install statues there. Given this, this campaign and marking action is being carried out today, so that whoever has encroached on the public road, around the drains, we intend to widen the city as well as make it free from traffic jams by removing all those encroachments," Mani Bhushan Tiwari had said.