E-Paper
U.P. Police to coordinate with development bodies to remove encroachments
The official said land worth over ₹300 crore (cumulatively) is under illegal possession of different people for years in Lucknow and the LDA is unable to get it back.
LUCKNOW The Uttar Pradesh Police will soon coordinate with different development authorities, including the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), with an intent to remove illegal possession and encroachments in different cities, said senior police officials privy to the development. It is likely that some police personnel are posted, especially for this purpose.
Requesting anonymity, a senior government official said, “Additional chief secretary (housing), Nitin Ramesh Gokarn, wrote a letter to the principal secretary (home) on May 10 requesting to permanently post some police officers in different development authorities for this purpose. He also mentioned that these posts were created in development authorities to curb illegal possession and encroachments on the government lands. Cops of inspectors, sub-inspectors and constable ranks could be posted for this purpose.”
The official added, “The ACS further said that often such drives are delayed and could not be carried out due to unavailability of police force when they required controlling law and ordering situation and restricting people opposing the drive. Thus, the home department is mulling over the request and could soon send some police officers to coordinate with development authorities. This way, police will carry out encroachment and illegal possession removal drives.” The official further said that the home department has already asked cops concerned in different districts to hold meeting with the different development authority and analyse the requirement of police force to carry out this drive to remove illegal possession and encroachments of the government lands.
Sharing further information, the official said land worth over ₹300 crore (cumulatively) is under illegal possession of different people for years in Lucknow and the LDA is unable to get it back. Lucknow joint commissioner of police (law and order), Upendra Agarwal, also held a meeting with Lucknow Municipal Corporation on Friday to establish coordination between the two departments to remove illegal possession and encroachments in the city. The JCP has also alerted the in-charges of different police stations to coordinate with the corporation and provide the police force to carry out the drive for removal of encroachments.
