Tension as 1,000 ‘encroachers’ evicted

Mild tension prevailed at Poratanagar in Ibrahimpatnam mandal near here when about 1,000 residents, who according to the Revenue officials were illegal encroachers, were evicted in a joint operation by the Revenue department and Police. About 32 persons were taken into preventive custody by the police.

The operation was supervised by the Vijayawada Deputy Commissioner of Police M. Ravi Prakash and Joint Collector P. Usha Kumari. Two JCB earth movers were also used to raze the hutments to ground.

According to Revenue officials the land measuring about 35 acres, which was notified as surplus land by the Revenue department, was illegally encroached by the residents.

According to the police, as per AP High Court order, pattas were to be issued to the homeless, but before that could be done, the land was taken over by the residents illegally.

However, CPI City Secretary Donepudi Shankar said that the people who were residing in the area were homeless and should be given the pattas.

He alleged that the revenue department had colluded with some industrialists to get the land vacated and the evacuation operation was illegally supported by the police.