Ahmedabad civic body clears encroachments from 4,000 square metre land

AMC removed encroachments from around 4,000 square metre plot in Khokhra in the east zone. The estate management and town planning department of the east zone removed around 108 hutments and other encroachments in an exercise that took seven hours.

The AMC-owned plot near Jay Somnath School had been reserved for construction of AMC officer's quarters. The residents of 'Barot Vas' whose hutments were to be razed had been allotted two room kitchen houses in Odhav area as part of the alternate arrangement and the standing committee of the AMC had already passed a resolution to this effect.

However, as the encroachments were around 40-50 years old, people were not willing to shift and so protested against the civic body's decision. A mob of around 400-500 people pelted stones at the police and AMC officials.

So, the police had to lathicharge the crowd and fired five rounds of tear gas to disburse the mob. One police constable sustained minor injuries in the stone pelting.

The Amraiwadi police arrested one Manahar Barot and 14 others for assault of government officers. RH Shah, in-charge deputy town development officer of east zone, said that the exercise began at around 12 pm, which continued till around 7.30 pm.

"Six JCB machines and ten trucks were used to remove the encroachment. Moreover, the civic body also sought co-operation from four police stations," said Shah.