Patna: Remove encroachment from NIT land within 4 weeks, orders HC
2 min readPATNA: The Patna high court on Wednesday ordered the Patna district administration to remove the encroachment on around three acre of land belonging to National Institute of Technology (NIT), located at Golakpur under Pribahore police station area in Patna within four weeks’ time at any cost.
Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad, while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Vikash Chandra alias Guddu Baba, also rapped the administration for failing to remove the encroachment till now even after an earlier court order.
The high court on February 2 this year had ordered the administration to remove all encroachers from the said plot of land against which an anti-encroachment drive was taken up on March 16.
However, the attempt failed as the magistrates and police personnel were chased away by encroachers. Patna sadar circle officer (CO) Mithilesh Kumar and several other police personnel were injured after being attacked during the first day of scheduled two-day drive after which the no more attempts were made.
The district administration, in a counter-affidavit submitted on Wednesday, informed the court that after demolishing four to five houses built on the plot, approximately 100 anti-social elements gathered at the spot and sprinkled petrol and pelted stone on administrative officials and police personnel. An earth mover and some vehicles were badly damaged by the encroachers during the incident.
An FIR was lodged in this connection with the Pirbahore police station by the CO against 29 named accused and several other unknown persons.
“Is the state unable to deal with law and order problem. Just 100 anti-social elements came and administration ran way. We are not satisfied with this,” the court made an oral observation during the hearing.
It also ordered the administration to take strict action against those who created hindrance during March 16 incident and submit a report. Chief Justice Menon also ordered that any matter related to Golakpur land encroachment, if filed or surfaces before high court, would be brought before him only for hearing.
The petitioner, while talking to TOI, said the land was originally acquired for Bihar College of Engineering (BCE) in 1950s by the state government and a six-member committee headed by the then revenue and land reforms department principal secretary Vyas Ji was formed by high court almost couple of years back to ascertain the ownership of the land after which it surfaced to have been acquired for BCE which later became NIT.
Courtesy: TNN
