Field staff to suggest plans to curb encroachment

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 19

To make roads encroachment free, the Delhi government's Public Works Department (PWD) has sought suggestions from its field staff to check recurrence of encroachments on its roads in the capital, which has become a common scene.

The direction was issued at a recently-held meeting that was chaired by PWD's Engineer-in-Chief Rakesh Kumar Agrawal, sources said.

Anti-encroachment drives are being carried out in the city on the directions of a special task force that was formed by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry. The task force was formed after Hardeep Singh Puri had taken over the charge of the Ministry.

"All the field staff have been asked to give suggestions on how to check recurrence of encroachments on roads owned by the Public Works Department. The field staff know the ground reality that is why they have been asked to send their suggestions to the engineer-in-chief," the sources said.

The PWD owns around 1,260-km roads in the capital. It is providing logistics to municipal corporations for removal of encroachments on its roads.

"No field staff will issue any notice for removal of any encroachment on PWD roads. Such right lies with the MCD only. The PWD has to provide manpower and machinery for removal of encroachments," the sources said.

The minutes of the meeting stated, "Field staff should be regularly vigilant that recurrence of encroachment does not take place and if it happens again, the same may be reported to the special task force, the MCD and the Delhi Police for removal of the same."

In January, several AAP legislators had demanded PWD Minister Satyendar Jain that the department be given powers to remove encroachments from roads to ensure smooth vehicular movement.

"During the meeting, most of the MLAs demanded that the PWD should be given power to remove encroachment which causes traffic congestion," Jain said.