The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) cancelled an anti-encroachment campaign slated for Jasola and Sarita Vihar on Thursday due to a lack of appropriate police personnel, the civic authorities claimed.
The drive was scheduled for Thursday in the Jasola-Sarita Vihar region to remove permanent and temporary encroachments from roadways and government land, according to SDMC officials.
The drive was planned a day after SDMC Mayor Mukesh Suryan paid a visit to these neighbourhoods.
“The drive at Jasola and Sarita Vihar has been cancelled due to the unavailability of adequate police force. The area SHO informed us that adequate police personnel cannot be provided for the drive due to the pre-engagement of the police staff in other law-and-order duties. The drive will be rescheduled accordingly,” Suryan said.
According to a letter to the SDMC, it is not possible to provide sufficient personnel to assist the SDMC staff in carrying out the anti-encroachment drive in ward number 101-S due to the pre-engagement or preoccupation of the staff and personnel of the Sarita Vihar police station in other law-and-order or investigative duties (Sarita Vihar).
“It is requested that prior intimation of at least 10 days may be given to fix the date for the encroachment removal drive in the area of Sarita Vihar police station so that sufficient staff may be given to assist the SDMC staff,” it said.
After Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta wrote to the mayor on April 20, demanding him to eliminate encroachment by “Rohingyas, Bangladeshis, and anti-social elements,” encroachment campaigns are being planned in SDMC areas.
Last week, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) was chastised by opposition parties and civil rights organisations for bulldozing structures during an anti-encroachment sweep in Jahangirpuri, an area where communal conflicts had previously occurred. After the Supreme Court intervened, the drive was halted.
Aryan Jakhar works as an Editor-in-Chief at The Shining Media. Also, he is an editor at YouthPolitician (digital media situated in Taiwan). He writes his opinions on social issues at YouthKiAwaaz and also on his blogger website.
