SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 7: Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) Panchet Dam (Dhanbad) management has issued an eviction notice to the residents who have been illegally occupying 173 quarters of the organization for decades.
The DVC Panchet Estate Officer in his eviction notice has warned that if the unauthorized occupants fail to vacate the quarters within 15 days, the management would initiate legal action and get it freed under Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Acts 1971.
Among the 173 illegally occupied quarters that have been served the notice, 112 are NA type, 23 are FA and FB types, 12 are GD type, 11 are GC type and 7 are E type.
Panchet Project Head Praduman Sah said that total of 297 unauthorized occupants have been served the letter as well as notice has also been put up on the quarters for eviction. They have appeared in public hearings and this issue is being solved.
“But 173 illegal occupants of these quarters have no trace about who are living in them. So a 15 days’ ultimatum has been given for eviction otherwise the management would be forced to take legal action,” added Sah.
“They have not just illegally occupied these quarters of DVC but also use electricity without paying the bills. DVC Panchet faces the loss of over Rs 6 to7 lakhs monthly and Rs 6-7 crores annually because of this power theft. After the eviction of these illegal occupants, power theft would be checked completely”.
He also said that the pensioners of the organization have not been touched as they pay rent of the quarters and electricity bills.
Hundreds of unauthorized people have occupied these quarters of DVC Panchet and Maithon Dam for decades. A few years ago the Maithon Dam management had bulldozed the encroached quarters in the name of dangerous structures but the Panchet Dam management is yet to evict these occupants.
This notice by DVC has triggered panic among illegal occupants. “Where would we go in this festive season? We have requested the management to put on hold the eviction notice till December so that we could search for a proper place to live,” said one of the unauthorized occupants.
