AMC removes 150 hutments existing opposite to airport

Aurangabad, April 26:

In a major development, the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has today relocated as many as 150 illegal hutments, which were existing infront of the Chikalthana Airport, for the last many years. They have been relocated on a temporary basis at Naregaon, near old garbage depot.

As reported earlier, the newspaper has published a news highlighting how an unpleasant look, due to illegal hutments, was creating a bad impression amongst the visitors (domestic and international) after stepping out of the local airport.

After inclusion of Aurangabad under Smart City Mission, the AMC through Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Limited (ASCDCL) has launched development works of valuing crores of rupees to beautify the city.

In this context, the illegal hutments were forcing the visitors to carry wrong impression about the city.

The city is visited by 30 lakh tourists every year. Besides, thousands of devotees proceeding to Shirdi also passes through Jalna Road during the night hours. Of all the visitors, the strength of international visitors and tourists arriving in the city by air is also growing each day.

Taking cognizance of issue, the AMC administrator A K Pandey took a drastic step and alerted the anti-encroachment to gear up on Monday and ordered to clear the sight on Tuesday.

Acting upon the orders, the anti-encroachment squad reached the site and alerted the occupants of hutments on Monday. The representatives of each family were shown the new place where they were going to be relocated at Naregaon.

The place in Naregaon was levelled and cleaned up by AMC through JCB. The AMC also made it clear to them that it is an alternate and temporary arrangement, therefore, they should not consider that the plots have been allotted to them.

Squad arrives today

AMC squad arrived at the site to remove hutments today at 11 am. To avoid material loss of these occupants, the civic officials, told them to vacate their possessions and also remove encroachments on their own.

The additional commissioner R P Nikam, designated officer Savita Sonawane, R S Rachatwar, Surase, Gavli and Ali were present on the occasion.

Nikam confirmed that the Jalna Road has been made free from encroachments of hutments by standing at the site during the whole day under the sun.