As announced, the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Saturday has launched a massive drive against encroachment, illegal footpath shops to clear the passages, illegal constructions and illegal parking at the busiest roads in the city from encroachment before the ensuing festivities.

On Saturday  morning, a jumbo team of police and AMC officials with earth movers, bulldozers and JCP started their drive against encroachment and illegal constructions on government land and one after one many footpath shops were bulldozed and AMC workers cleared some areas of Battala and entire Sakuntala road of the city .

During the eviction drive, some footpath hawkers tried to resist the encroachment drive and engaged in scuffle with AMC workers, but a large number of security forces deployed at Sakuntala road eased the situation. Then, AMC workers resumed the cleaning drive and one after one footpath stalls, illegal advertisements were removed from the road.

The jumbo AMC eviction team led by Additional Municipal Commissioner Muhammad Sajad.P with a large number of police and security forces led the eviction drive and by evening , the entire Sakuntal road has been cleared from encroachment.

While, giving details of the encroachment free drive of the AMC, Mayor Dipak Majumder said the Corporation has had a number of complaints over illegal footpath shops by occupying main road, leading narrow passages in most the roads inside the city and  are creating hindrance including massive traffic jams across the city.

He said illegal footpath shops and illegal extension of shops in the government has also occupied passages of the city and AMC vowed to clear all kinds of illegal construction and occupation from all city market areas before the festival of Durga Puja.

He said that before encroaching free drive, AMC had served notices to all persons, who illegally occupied the government land and roads.

The AMC under Agartala Smart City project has started construction of drains and the authorities found many government land and portions of road were encroached by some footpath shopkeepers and street vendors, who are illegally running their business without any vendor licenses, said Majumder.

He said that after verifying all government records and after establishment of encroachment, the AMC had served notices to all occupiers to clear the government land. Some of the had cleared their illegal occupation and some were very reluctant to clear the government, then AMC has decided to launch massive drive across Agartala city to widening the roads and to free the city of traffic jams, said Majumder and added that process has been started and within few days through eviction drive, all illegally occupied government land and roads will be cleared.

He said that before launching the eviction drive, AMC officials had personally visited all such areas and requested all encroachers to clear the government land. But, serving notice after notice, the authorities had on Saturday morning launched the eviction drive.

The Mayor and AMC commissioner had also personally interacted with traders and urged them to free all roads and lanes, which are illegally encroached by the traders for their so-called expansion of trade and they had also given time to clear encroachment, said Majumder and added that AMC has no other option to clear the encroachment by bulldozing the illegal construction. He said that soon city dwellers will get rid of massive traffic jams and will find footpaths for passages.