The district administration in Ranchi made significant headway in its ongoing crackdown against unauthorized constructions, announcing that 95% of the anti-encroachment task on the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) premises has been completed as of Tuesday. The drive, which saw the deployment of heavy machinery and a large workforce, targeted illegal residential buildings erected on the vital institutional land.
Massive Demolition Operation Underway
In the Badgai circle area, the operation was a scene of intense activity. Three earthmovers and a large contingent of labourers were engaged in tearing down structures on the ground, locally known as the DIG Ground. The site was under strict supervision, with Executive Magistrate (Sadar) Shinny Tigga, four other magistrates, and a strong police force deployed to oversee the proceedings and maintain law and order.
Magistrate Shinny Tigga provided an update, stating that only two to three houses remained to be demolished. She highlighted the careful approach being taken, particularly for a four-storied apartment on the ground, which was being dismantled by the building division department. "The administration is taking care that the houses located near it are not damaged," Tigga explained. "Use of earthmovers could lead to the collapse of structures built legally. In view of the situation, several workers are deployed to demolish the walls of illegal houses with drills and hand equipment."
High Court Order Triggers the Action
This large-scale demolition drive was initiated following a direct order from the Jharkhand High Court. Acting on the court's directive, the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (Jhalsa) conducted an inspection and submitted a damning report. The report detailed extensive illegal occupation and construction on land originally acquired for RIMS.
The findings were alarming. The report stated that not only were illegal structures erected, but an area measuring 150x350 feet had been fenced off for agricultural work within the campus. Furthermore, a PCC road was constructed, and several multi-storied buildings, including an apartment, were built on the prime institutional property, prompting the judicial intervention.
Parallel Drives Across the City
The action on the RIMS ground was not an isolated event. In a coordinated effort to reclaim public spaces, the traffic wing of the Ranchi police conducted a simultaneous anti-encroachment drive in the Kokar area on the same Tuesday. This operation focused on clearing roadside encroachments by vegetable vendors and taking action against shopkeepers who were found blocking roads, indicating a broader administrative push to restore order and planned urban space.
The completion of the majority of the demolition work on the RIMS premises marks a crucial step in reclaiming government land and enforcing the rule of law as mandated by the state's judiciary. The administration's measured approach, balancing the use of machinery with manual demolition to protect adjacent legal structures, underscores the complexity of urban encroachment removal in densely populated areas.
