Eviction drive finds 99 govt quarters had illegal occupants

Bhubaneswar: An enforcement drive against encroachers beginning Tuesday led to the discovery that out of 222 vacant govt quarters, vacated for demolition and construction of high-rises in Unit II here, 99 had illegal occupants, officials said. Illegal occupants were dwelling in the quarters for the past three years and many of them were sublet by the squatters for vending zones, hotels and other facilities, sources said."So far, 18 quarters have been sealed by the enforcement agencies. We have found out that there are 99 quarters, which are now occupied. We will check each quarter separately and seal them," said rent officer (general administration), Prakash Behera.Apart from the general administration department, power distribution company TPCODL, water supply wing Watco, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), police and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) jointly carried out the eviction drive. The squads allowed the occupants to take out their belongings, after which the quarters were sealed. "Since 2022, allotment for 222 quarters was cancelled as per the plan to demolish them to create space for the construction of high-rises under the capital redevelopment plan. The quarters were locked. But, gradually, squatters with support from influential people sublet them and set up various businesses in blatant violation of norms," said a BDA officer.While the eviction process is ongoing, it is yet to be ascertained how power and water supply continued despite the govt blocking the allotment of quarters. For the resumption of water and power connections, allotment is a prerequisite, but in the case of 99 quarters, officials found they had power supply."It is stealing of water through an unauthorised connection. Watco had no information about the illegal connections to the quarters. After we found the illegal connections during inspection following eviction, the water supply was stopped," said Watco MD Guru Das.While urban planners raised eyebrows about possible connivance of govt employees in the massive illegal occupation, enforcement officer (general administration), Amiya Das, said the occupants had trespassed and they didn't exactly know for how long they were living in the quarters. "We don't know who helped them to occupy the quarters and who the occupants paid the rent to, as is being shown in some media outlets. But once it came to our notice, we swung into action. It is for the govt to identify the squatters and punish them," said Das.Sources in the department said the appropriate authority will ascertain whether govt employees are in connivance with the squatters, facilitating occupancy in unallotted quarters and profiting from the illegal activity.