Aurangabad:
Sensation prevailed in the Cidco area after the anti-encroachment squad of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) started removing encroachments existing in front of the shops in Cannaught Place, on Friday. The officials demolished sheds extended in front of the shops and encroached an area of 5-7 feet. Meanwhile, the AMC officials to ease the strong opposition spared two hours to remove the sheds and other encroachments voluntarily. It may be noted that the AMC initiated action acting upon the instructions of the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court.
It may be noted that a petition regarding the encroachments in the Hudco-Cidco areas is pending in the High Court.
The additional municipal commissioner R P Nikam arrived at Cannaught Place with the squad and required JCB and other machinery today at 11 am. The market was opening at a slow pace. The High Court has ordered the AMC to free the footpaths from the encroachments.
At the outset, the squad started to remove encroachments of four mobile shops (situated on SBI road) through JCB. The shopkeepers sustained the loss of their materials in the drive. The civic officials appealed to shopkeepers to remove display boards, sheds and tables placed illegally on the road voluntarily. Some shopkeepers arranged for labourers to remove encroachments, while some of them started to bring down the sheds on their own.
Today’s action was being taken as per the orders of the AMC commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari by designated officers Vasant Bhoye and Savita Sonanwane along with building inspectors Pandit Gaoli and Mazhar Ali.
Opposition by 129 shopkeepers
All the shopkeepers of Cannaught Place registered their protest against AMC’s action by keeping their shops closed. They also shouted slogans.
The Vyapari Association president Dnyaneshwar Appa Kharde said, “The businessmen had spent thousands of rupees on sheds which were erected after the Cidco administration gave oral permission to them.”
Disappointment prevailed when the AMC squad did not remove the shed erected by a prominent tea outlet in the morning. The businessmen sustaining losses were surprised on seeing the biased action. However, in the second round of action, the civic squad removed encroachments partially of 5-7 shops including the above tea outlet.
Boxx
The CM Eknath Shinde faction’s district president Rajendra Janjal made a phone call to the additional commissioner Nikam and requested to stop it. He expressed his fearing telling that it may encourage to voice against the ruling party in the state. His request, however, was not entertained. The city unit chief of Udhav Thackeray’s faction Vishwanath Swami and Shivappa Lungare also reached the spot, but their efforts also proved futile to stop action.