Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Oct 25: The capital complex district administration continued with the second day of its eviction drive here on Thursday amid hurdles and protest by building owners.
One structure was demolished while the demolition of two more was underway.
During the eviction drive at Chandranagar, building owners of the area and nearby areas arrived at the scene and claimed that they did not receive any notice regarding the eviction of structures beyond the right of way (RoW), and many claimed that they were not compensated for the same.
They said they did not have any issue with the demolition of structures that fall within the RoW, but demanded that the magistrates provide a new notice for eviction beyond the RoW.
The magistrates on duty could be seen explaining to the owners that notices had already been served to all the building owners, and that they had been adequately compensated for the same.
“When the government requires land, compensation is paid to the owners for land acquisition. After taking the compensation amount, one cannot back out on giving the said property,” a magistrate explained to the building owners.
It is to be noted that compensation is not provided for structures falling within the RoW. However, owners who demolished their own structures falling within the RoW were compensated for the demolition work earlier.
Additionally, the compensation the landowners received for structures and land that fell beyond the RoW was paid based on the fact that the properties in question met the conditions in the prohibitory order issued by the administration on 4 May.
However, the order also states that “no new properties constructed after the issue of the prohibitory order has to be assessed (for compensation).”
Meanwhile, the Capital Complex Commercial Building Owners’ Welfare Association (CCCBOWA) demanded that the state government immediately stop the eviction of properties and structures within the RoW and issue a clarification on “compensation of RoW NH-415 and the self-eviction compensation package.”
“After clarification by state government on RoW, the affected building owners will self-demolish or hand over to the administration,” a release from the CCCBOWA said.
Earlier in the day, businesses under the Itanagar Market Welfare Association (IMWA), except a few medical stores, downed their shutters in protest against the eviction drive, and opened late in the evening.
The IMWA said it did not expect any further eviction drives in the city after sufficient compensation had been given to the affected property owners.
It claimed that uniform compensation disbursement had not been maintained by the authority concerned, and that “there are many widows, vendors, and trivial businessmen and women along the stretch of the road in question.”
On the high court’s stay order against the eviction of 14 buildings, the IMWA said many other buildings which are also at the same distance from the RoW are subjected under the eviction drive and need further negotiation.
