The ongoing drive to clear encroachments from government lands across Uttarakhand continues at a steady pace. In the latest development on Saturday morning, local authorities in Haldwani used a bulldozer to demolish an illegal mazar situated inside the Food Corporation of India or FCI godown premises in the Rajpura area.
Action executed in presence of top officials
City Magistrate AP Bajpai and Municipal Commissioner Paritosh Verma reached the spot early in the morning along with their administrative team to execute the demolition. The administration had issued a notice roughly two weeks prior instructing the removal of the structure, but compliance was not met. Reports indicated that the presence of this mazar was directly hampering the storage capacity of the government godown.
Total count of removed structures reaches 604
According to administrative sources within the Pushkar Singh Dhami government, this marks the 604th illegal mazar to be cleared under the statewide anti-encroachment campaign. Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also voiced support for the government's ongoing crackdown. Chief Minister Dhami has repeatedly made it clear that illegal occupations on government properties will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Previous crackdown near Nariman Crossing
Similar administrative actions have taken place in the region prior to this incident. Back in January, an enforcement team returned to the Nariman Crossing area to clear encroachments after a gap of approximately one year. As heavy machinery began moving against old and newly constructed commercial establishments, several occupants began dismantling their own structures using hammers.
Prior notices and compliance from locals
The stretch between Nariman Crossing and Kathgodam Bridge spans a distance of about 400 meters. Multiple shops along this route had been served formal demolition notices, though several buildings remained standing at the site. However, the majority of owners had already cleared their belongings from the premises before heavy machinery was deployed to bring down remaining structures that violated local regulations.
