Tension as KMC begins eviction of 110 families, JSP Kakinada Chief arrested

Many families alleged that they were given house site pattas a few hours before commencing the eviction drive 

Tension prevailed in the Kakinada city as Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC) authorities launched an eviction drive to remove the 110 encroachers from the government land to speed up the proposed road widening project on Friday.

The eviction drive was commenced in the early hours of Friday. However, the families being evicted from their temporary habitation have protested it. The families have alleged that they have not been given sufficient time to vacate the site. Amid tension, the houses were bulldozed by the civic body as part of the eviction drive.

On being alerted about the eviction drive, Jana Sena Party Kakinada In-Charge Pantham Nanaji and supporters rushed to the spot and demanded the civic body to provide sufficient time before the eviction drive.

“Of them above 110 families, many of them were given the house site pattas on the night of June 9. They have been told to vacate the site within one day and that would not be possible”, said Mr. Nanaji. However, Mr. Nanaji was arrested for preventing the eviction drive.  

KMC Commissioner K. Ramesh told The Hindu:“We have allotted house sites to the 110 families in Panduru site. They have been living in an encroached site in the city. Some of the families have received the house site pattas on June 9”. Mr. Ramesh has added that the encroachers have earlier been told to vacate the site.  

Nearly 700 meters of road widening work has been pending due to the encroachment of the land by the 110 families, added Mr. Ramesh. However, the eviction drive continued with the deployment of police personnel. EOM