187 Houses Demolished, 8 Acres Reclaimed in Major BDA Eviction Drive in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: In one of the largest anti-encroachment actions in recent times, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) on Thursday demolished 187 illegal houses in Shampur mouza under Bharatpur police limits, reclaiming around 8 acres of government land.

The eviction drive, carried out under the supervision of BDA Vice-Chairman Chanchal Rana and led by Joint Commissioner Ranjan Kumar Jena, involved six JCB machines to clear unauthorized structures. Officials said 31 of the demolished constructions were still in progress.

Authorities termed the operation part of a sustained effort to remove illegal encroachments and facilitate planned urban development. The reclaimed land is part of a larger tract that had been encroached upon over time.

To ensure smooth execution, around 10 platoons of police personnel along with 50 officers were deployed at the site. The eviction was carried out peacefully without any major law and order issues.

Officials said multiple notices had been issued in advance, and announcements were made through loudspeakers urging residents to vacate voluntarily. The administration maintained that the action followed due legal procedures.

During the drive, officials recovered 72 LPG cylinders, including 21 small cylinders, from an encroached house. The seized cylinders were handed over to the Civil Supplies Department for further action.

Reiterating the authority’s stance, the BDA Vice-Chairman said the eviction drive would continue until all encroachments are cleared and appealed to illegal occupants to vacate government land voluntarily.

It may be recalled that the BDA had filed an FIR with the Economic Offences Wing in December 2023, alleging illegal encroachment and sale of portions of nearly 68 acres of land by land mafias.