Patna district administration intensified its anti-encroachment campaign on Wednesday (December 3), targeting Raja Bazar area around Bailey Road as part of a special drive running through December 31. Nine dedicated teams are actively clearing illegal occupations across Patna Municipal Corporation's six zones- Nutan Rajdhani, Patliputra, Kankarbagh, Bankipur, Azimabad, and Patna City- along with Khagoul, Phulwari Sharif, and Danapur Nagar Parishad areas, including narrower roads linked to main thoroughfares to ease chronic traffic congestion.
Day 3 actions yield seizures and hefty fines
Under District Magistrate (DM) Dr Thyagarajan SM's directives, the third consecutive day saw multi-agency teams from administration, municipal corporation, traffic police, transport, revenue, road construction, health, police, fire services, bridges, telecom, forest, and electricity departments remove encroachments. Key seizures included 10 carts in Nutan Rajdhani (Rs 22,500 fine), one wooden counter, cart, and five flex boards in Patliputra (Rs 20,000), carts, bamboo, hut, sand, and posters in Khagoul (Rs 11,000), 50 illegal posters/banners plus bamboo and carts in Danapur (Rs 25,000), one tipper of gravel in Azimabad (Rs 9,800), Rs 6,300 in Patna City, and a cart in Bankipur's Kadamkuan, Bakarganj, and Khetan Market, totaling Rs 94,600 in fines collected.
Strict monitoring and FIRs for repeat offenders
Officials received orders to identify habitual encroachers for punitive action, mandatorily register FIRs against re-offenders, and maintain active follow-up teams to prevent recurrence. A five-member monitoring cell, comprising Traffic SP, Additional DM (Urban Management), Security SP, Additional Municipal Commissioner, and City Magistrate, will oversee operations jointly. DM urged SPs to ensure station diaries log clearances, smooth traffic, and strict legal action against disruptions, prioritizing public convenience on key routes like Gandhi Maidan to JP Ganga Path.
CPI-ML slams Bihar's 'bulldozer action' for targeting poor
CPI(ML) Liberation leaders staged a protest rally in Patna's Gardanibagh on Wednesday, condemning the Bihar government's anti-encroachment drive as a biased "bulldozer action" that displaces the poor while letting wealthy encroachers escape. They accused authorities of prioritizing a "beautiful city" facade over livelihoods.
MLA Sandeep Saurav warns of street action against 'mall culture'
Paliganj MLA Sandeep Saurav charged the government with evicting street vendors and footpath shops to impose a capitalist "mall culture," questioning where the poor would go if streets get flowerpots instead. He warned Bihar's people won't wait five years for change, threatening street protests to oust the regime.
Mehboob Alam demands land rights over repression
Former MLA Mehboob Alam targeted Home Minister Samrat Choudhary for bulldozer dominance rather than livelihood guarantees, insisting PM SVANidhi Yojana beneficiaries aren't true encroachers. He demanded "parcha" land titles for decades-long poor residents, citing Adani's Rs 1 land deals and government buildings on wasteland as precedents.
Divya Gautam cites legal violations, plans court battle
Digha candidate Divya Gautam highlighted the lack of vending zones or alternatives before winter evictions, violating the 2014 Street Vendors Act. She vowed legal action to halt the drive, noting city-dependent vendors form Patna's economic core.
Gopal Ravidas calls for Parcha, not bulldozers across sistricts
Ex-Phulwari Sharif MLA Gopal Ravidas alleged selective targeting of homeless vendors, previously loaned near GPO Golambar and Mahavir Mandir, while rich encroachers thrive, questioning loan repayments post-eviction. He noted similar actions in Gaya, Buxar, and Aurangabad, demanding land parchase and jobs over demolitions, claiming Nitish Kumar as a BJP "shadow CM."
