NHAI removes illegal structures on NH-44

ibune News Service

Panipat, July 18

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Friday demolished illegal structures on National Highway-44 in Samalkha area.

The NHAI had served notices to 96 encroachers to remove their structures in September last year. The action was initiated on the direction of Lokayukta, Haryana.

A team led by Pranjal Mishra, SDO, NHAI, in presence of Duty Magistrate Anil Kumar, Naib Tehsildar, Samalkha, along with a police team went to remove illegal structures on NH-44 in Samalkha on the Delhi-Panipat side on Friday.

PP Kapoor, an RTI activist of Samalkha, had filed a complaint before the Lokayukta, Haryana, for removal of encroachments on August 8, 2015.

Following the directions of the Lokayukta, the NHAI had served notices on the encroachers, but they had filed a petition in the High Court. The High Court had sought the latest report on the encroachments, Kapoor said.

Following the High Court’s directions, the district administration had constituted a high-level team which conducted demarcation of encroachment in Samalkha city on both sides of NH-44 with latest machines, he added.

The team had identified 96 landowners, including state government departments, which had encroached upon NHAI land and submitted its report to the High Court.

As per the report, 79 persons had encroached upon NHAI land along the Delhi-Panipat side and 17 along the other side. The NHAI had deposited the demarcation report in Punjab and Haryana High Court, he asserted.

Kapoor said the officials demolished around 22 structures till afternoon today. Some of the encroachers have requested NHAI that they would remove the structure on their own. So the authority has given them relaxation, he added.

Anil Kaushik, Duty Magistrate-cum-Naib Tehsildar said NHAI officials have demolished some illegal structures on the Delhi-Panipat side today. Police force was deployed there and no untoward situation was reported during the demolition drive, he added.