280 shanties bulldozed in Ghaziabad's Kaushambi

In compliance with an Allahabad High Court order, the Ghaziabad Development Authority today razed to ground nearly 280 jhuggis (shanties) and 20 cemented structures in Kaushambi area here, a GDA official said.
An order was passed by Allahabad HC on September 22 last year directing the civic agency to evacuate the squatters from its 16,000 square yards area adjoining a five star hotel near the UP Gate and demolish all illegal structures, GDAofficer on special duty (OSD) Manoj Kumar Rai said.
A status report on the anti-encroachment drive has to be submitted before the High Court on January 22, 2016, the OSD said, adding that the present market value of the land is estimated to be around Rs 200 crore.

A public announcement was also made in the area to inform the squatters regarding the High Court orders for demolition well in advance and they were advised to move their belongings to safer places, he said.
The OSD said some land mafia had grabbed this GDA land and the shanties were raised with the passage of time for their benefit.
Chairman, RWA Federation Ghaziabad, Col Tejandra Pal Tyagi has opposed the action initiated by GDA and has alleged that the JJ colony in Kaushambi has been bulldozed by the GDA without giving the occupants any alternative arrangement like night shelters.