Bahjoi Administration Uses Bulldozer Against Alleged Illegal Colonies Before Diwali

Rajat Malhotra

Sambhal/Bahjoi. Just before the Diwali festival, the district administration carried out a major action against illegal colonisers and sent a strong warning to those involved in unauthorised plotting. A bulldozer was deployed today on Tikta Road in the Bahjoi area against colonies being developed without an approved layout.

The administration had been receiving repeated complaints that some property dealers were carving out illegal colonies on agricultural land along Tikta Road. The plotting was allegedly being carried out without an approved map and without permission from the development authority.

According to the complaints, people were being shown the promise of cheap plots and were being charged lakhs of rupees. However, the site reportedly had no roads, drains or electricity arrangements.

Action at the site

Taking the complaints seriously, a team from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office and the tehsil administration reached the location along with a heavy police force.

With the help of a JCB, the team demolished boundary walls, unpaved roads and foundations that had been constructed as part of the unauthorised colony development.

The action, carried out just before Diwali, created a stir among illegal colonisers and property dealers in the area. Several dealers fled the spot after the administration began its operation.

The administration made it clear that no colony would be allowed to be developed anywhere in the district without a valid approved layout.

List of illegal colonies prepared

Officials said the action was only the beginning. A list of all illegal colonies identified across the district has already been prepared, they said.

According to the officials, action will now be taken against the colonies on the list one by one, and bulldozers will be used in the identified areas as part of the campaign.

Administration’s warning to buyers

The administration has also appealed to the public not to buy plots in illegal colonies in the hope of getting them at a lower price.

Officials have advised people to fully check whether the layout has been approved before buying a plot. Buyers should verify the approval with the concerned tehsil or the regulated area office.

The administration warned that failure to carry out these checks could put people’s hard-earned money at risk, as unauthorised constructions and developments may also face demolition.

The action has also sent a warning to those working against the rules that illegal activities will not be spared even in the name of the festival.