Police, CMC to employ Hulla Gulla team

CUTTACK: The clearance of the road encroachments along the two major thoroughfares of Buxi Bazaar and Bajrakabati Road have been completed. But the drive against re-encroachment will now be intensified with the Commissionerate police and the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) getting ready to press a “hulla gulla” team into the job.  The drive, in all possibility, would be launched from June 15 and would be a continuous affair covering all parts of the city in a random manner. The “hulla gulla” team would comprise a vehicle with officials of the CMC, and Amin, labourers and other municipal staff. The team would be accompanied with sections of armed police to give them protection while undertaking raids and seizing materials. Local police station would also offer personnel for conduct of drive in areas under their jurisdiction.  According to Commissionerate police, the objective is to do away with the problem of re-encroachment, that every road and thoroughfare is  grappling with. “The encroachers are making a mockery of the eviction drives. Major chunk of the encroachers are roadside shop owners and vendors, etc. After lying low for some time, they surface again to take control of the roads,” a senior official said. While these sections are a big problem, big establishments and shops are no less culprits. Shops like electronics and consumer durables, electrical products and cycle stores keep their products blatantly on the roads to attract attention of the customers. Though the police had undertaken an exercise to persuade them not to do so, it has not yielded any result. The surprise drives would cover the big establishments too and will not dither from seizing the products and items kept on the roads. The drive would be conducted in a sustained manner. With the Orissa High Court directing clearance of road encroachments without any prior notice, the surprise checks would be more effective, CMC and police officials assert.