Violent clashes broke out between locals and police officers on Sunday during an anti-encroachment drive to raze 70 illegal houses built on government land in the city of Patna, Bihar state.
District Magistrate Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh told the ANI news agency that authorities had identified 40 acres of a Nepali colony for the anti-encroachment drive. A team of 2,000 security officers reached the site with around 17 JCB demolition machines to tear down the illegal houses.
According to reports, all of the houses were built after the state land was illegally occupied. Squatters had been issued vacation orders one month previous to the demolition.
However, authorities called on the bulldozers when residents failed to adhere to the order.
Dr. Singh claimed that residents of the Nepali colony didn’t have any paperwork, and they didn't file for building authorization from the state housing administration.
“While 5,000 residents live here, only 90 applications were received of whom only nine [were] accepted... We have advertised no sale/buying of this land is permitted, however, parallel sales are going on,” Dr. Singh explained.
In response to the authorities’ move, a group of locals protested against the demolition, explaining that they pay municipal taxes for electricity and other services. Stones were thrown when the bulldozers arrived and police used tear gas to quell the unrest.
Patna Police Superintendent Ambrish Rahul was injured during the violent clashes.
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Sputnik India: https://t.me/sputniknewsindia