Locals disrupt road widening drive in Kalaiya

BARA, Sept 23: Kalaiya Municipality in Bara remained tensed on Monday after the locals retaliated with the municipal employees trying to demolish the houses that came in the way of the roads being widened in the town.



Following a scuffle, the municipality has halted the road widening drive for the time being.  The municipality staff had reached Sonarpati village within the town to demolish the houses belonging to bullion traders Sarita Saraf, Mamata Saraf and Gayetri Devi Saraf that were built encroaching up to seven feet of roadside. [break]



However, the team had to return empty-handed after the locals fiercely opposed the move. The Executive Officer of the municipality, Nathu Sah, said that the illegal structures needed to be demolished as they fringed the right of way.



He also said that it is sheer highhandedness on the parts of locals to oppose the demolition of houses erected illegally, adding that the municipality will make the owners demolish the houses.



Shiva Kumar Saraf, who was among those opposing the road expansion drive, blamed that the municipality has targeted only the houses belonging to the bullion traders.

Shiva Kumar also said that the demolition of their houses would be acceptable if all the houses built illegally inside the municipality would be razed without any bias.



He claimed that most of the houses in the municipality were built flouting the building code and encroaching the roads.

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