DC provides 'Ashraya' to shelterless

Original allotments cancelled to distribute houses among homeless evacuated same day

The district administration went ahead with ongoing operation to reclaim the government land and took into possession about 200 Ashraya houses allotted to beneficiaries several years ago.

The DC told Deccan Herald that more than 104 families had put up temporary huts on 4.5 acres prime land on the Ring Road for the last several months. The district administration wanted to rehabilitate them in order to take possession of that piece of land which is worth ` 7-8 crore in the current market. The DC put Rayker on the job of ascertaining whether the allottees of the Ashraya Houses were making use of the facility. Upon spot inspection, it was found that more than 70 per cent of the houses were lying vacant.

While some of them had given their houses on rent, a few others had sold it.

Shocked to see the rows of houses without occupants, Gupta took a decision on the spot to cancel the appointment and allot the same to those who were vacated from the Ring Road, early on Thursday. The DC summoned extra  police orces and broke opened the locks of the houses. The MCC provided men and vehicles to those vacated families to shift their belongings to the new houses.

Gupta said come what may the district administration would not succumb to such pressure tactics and it would stick to its decision of cancellation of allotment. The entire area would be cleaned by the MCC staff on Friday.

The police would take stern action if any body tries to scare away the occupants. “We achieved two purposes on Thursday. Firstly, we got back the government land worth crores of rupees and secondly, the Ashraya houses allotted to the really needy people”.

The DC said another piece of land measuring five acres in Bogadi was reclaimed after removal of encroachment.

Some persons had encroached upon the government land and built a compound wall with an aim of building houses further . “We will not spare any encroacher in the city”, he warned.