'Illegal' Lawyers' Chambers Demolished Near Prayagraj Court Complex As Part Of Anti-Encroachment Crackdown
The Allahabad Municipal Corporation carried out a major anti-encroachment drive near the district court, demolishing illegal shops and lawyer chambers, causing panic among encroachers.
The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation has demolished several lawyers' chambers, which had been allegedly illegally set up. The demolition was part of a crackdown on illegal shops and advocates' chambers situated near the district court.
The enforcement team of the Municipal Corporation used diggers and excavators (known as 'JCB machines' or bulldozers in common parlance) to demolish the encroachments. Following the bulldozer action, tensions flared up in Prayagraj as the lawyers staged a massive protest.
Angered by the demolition, a group of lawyers resorted to lighting up a huge fire in front of the court premises. Senior police and administrative officials were present at the scene to manage the situation.
Earlier in the morning, a joint team from the Municipal Corporation and district administration launched a drive to remove allegedly unauthorised shops and advocate chambers constructed along the roadside. The enforcement team also seized several items during the operation.
Lawyers Demand Compensation
The advocates are now demanding that chambers be allotted at an alternative location and are also seeking compensation for their losses. The lawyers alleged that they met with the Municipal Commissioner, who had assured them that no chambers would be demolished until alternative space was allotted. But now their chambers lay flattened.
A similar anti-encroachment drive was recently carried out by the civic body under the Allahabad High Court flyover. During that bulldozer operation, the allegedly illegal shops and furniture belonging to lawyers were confiscated.
This latest action by the Municipal Corporation has caused panic among those involved in encroachments.
Uttar Pradesh Government's Encroachment Removal Campaign
This move is part of the Uttar Pradesh government's larger encroachment removal campaign across the state. Earlier in April, the UP government had carried out an encroachment removal campaign in several districts along the India-Nepal border in the state, taking action against more than 250 illegal constrictions, as per an official statement.
According to the statement, the drive targeted unauthorised constructions and religious institutions and focused on areas within a 10-15 km radius of the border. Action was taken against 80 illegal encrocahers in Bahraich and 119 illegal constructions in Shravasti.
Additionally, 17 unauthorised madrasas were identified and addressed in the process. In Siddharthnagar district, 11 illegal structures were removed, while in Maharajganj, action was taken against 19 encroachments. Meanwhile, in Balrampur, seven encroachments on government land were identified, two were removed voluntarily, and action is ongoing against the remaining five, the government said.
Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Minority Welfare, Muslim Waqf and Haj, Danish Azad Ansari, stressed the need to end alleged land encroachment, noting that the Waqf Amendment Bill was the need of the hour.
In January, too, the UP government had launched an anti-encroachment drive to remove illegal settlements on the land belonging to the Army in the Vijaynagar area in Ghaziabad.
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