Bihar: Govt follows UP model as bulldozers raze down houses of encroachers in Gopalganj

Following the lines of the Uttar Pradesh government, bulldozers started running down on illegal encroachments in Bihar’s Gopalganj district. Bulldozers on Wednesday ran down houses of encroachers. The action by the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar comes as a follow up of the Yogi model in UP where the government razed down several houses and other buildings.

On Tuesday, officials started a demolition drive in the Gopalganj district adjoining UP. Bulldozers have been run on the houses that were allegedly illegal. The houses built illegally encroaching on government land were demolished with the help of a bulldozer. The action was taken and the raze down was carried out in the presence of a magistrate and a large number of police forces to avoid any conflict.

The bulldozer model has started being widely discussed and followed by states after it began in UP. The Yogi Adityanath government introduced the bulldozer model to crackdown on illegal encroachments as well as criminal activities. It is noteworthy that the demolition drive in Nitish Kumar-led Bihar also comes after the chaotic anti-encroachment drive that took place in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri.

Anti-encroachment drive in Jahangirpuri

Earlier, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation launched a two-day anti-encroachment drive and began razing down illegally constructed slums and shops in Jahangirpuri. The NDMC in a letter to the Northwest Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) on April 19, said, "The special joint encroachment removal action program comprising Public Works Department (PWD), local body, Police and the Works/Maintenance Department, Health Department, Sanitation Department, Veterinary Department and Enforcement Cell of North DMC is to be fixed in Jahangiripuri area." 

The destruction continued until a Supreme Court order stayed the demolition drive. Notably, the demolition operation was launched just days after 8 police personnel and one civilian were injured in stone-pelting during the Hanuman Jayanti procession. The anti-encroachment drive soon started a political stir between the ruling BJP government and the opposition after several opposition leaders accused the government of targeting certain sections with the demolition drive. However, the NDMC mayor claimed that the civic body was carrying out the drive after people of the area made several complaints regarding road blockage and traffic issues, and not in retaliation to the Shobha Yatra violence. 

Image: Republic World