Anti-encroachment drive at KGMU turns violent, some docs hurt
During an anti-encroachment drive at KGMU, 25,000 sq ft of land was cleared, with minor injuries reported. The aim is to expand healthcare facilities.
A huge chunk of land was freed during an anti-encroachment drive on the King George’s Medical University (KGMU) campus on Saturday during which two or three doctors sustained minor injuries, said KGMU spokesperson Prof KK Singh.
During the drive, conducted behind ophthalmology department, 25,000 sq feet land was freed, he added. “When the task force formed to get the area freed went to serve notices to encroachers in the morning, they became aggressive. Some of them pushed our staff and in the incident a few of the staff sustained bruises,” said Prof Singh who is also part of the task force.
Police teams and KGMU officials reached the site early morning to carry out the exercise. Officials said several people had constructed illegal shops and other structures on KGMU land despite receiving repeated eviction notices over the past several months.
“Some individuals had built shops around 10-15 feet in size illegally within the premises. We had issued multiple notices asking them to vacate but they continued to occupy the land,” said the KGMU spokesperson. The drive, which started in the morning and continued till evening, was halted for sometime as time was given to encroachers to remove their belongings themselves.
The administration said the drive focused solely on removing encroachment to facilitate expansion of patient care facilities and healthcare services. “Our aim is to reclaim (medical) university property for public welfare works and improve medical services,” an official said.
ACP, Chowk, Raj Kumar Singh confirmed that all the illegal structures had been removed. During the drive, police from Chowk police station maintained security. A police officer confirmed that many of the encroachers began removing their illegal structures voluntarily once the drive commenced. “The situation remained peaceful and no major disturbance occurred,” the officer said.
Officials stressed that only illegal constructions were being demolished and that the Mazar of Shahmina Shah would not be disturbed in any manner. “The Mazar is an important religious place for many people. We are ensuring that it stays intact while we clear the illegal occupation around it,” the KGMU spokesperson said.
The administration also highlighted that the encroached land would soon be used for new healthcare-related infrastructure projects aimed at benefiting thousands of patients visiting the hospital daily.
