Eviction drive for Cantonment land held

SHILLONG: The Shillong Cantonment Board started an eviction drive against encroachment on defence areas in Iew Mawlong on Wednesday.
Parasmal Bothra, Vice-President and Ward Commissioner of ward number 1, said the drive, which will continue on Thursday, was conducted following a Supreme Court order issued in February and after the completion of the 15-day deadline to the illegal settlers for evacuation.
Though an altercation between the authorities and the settlers started initially, the drive went on smoothly later. More than 100 illegal structures were demolished on Wednesday.
In Jhalupara too, a similar drive will be conducted soon.
The Apex Court in February issued a notice to the Centre on a petition seeking direction to it to evict encroachers from 12,000 acres of defence land across India.
A bench headed by Chief Justice J.S Khehar had asked the government to respond to the petition filed by advocate S.N Bhardwaj who alleged that about 46,000 illegal structures had come up on military land in the country.
Former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had told the Lok Sabha in February last year that 10,125.63 acres of defence land is under encroachment across the country.