Defence, ASI help sought to evict Secretariat encroachers

The Secretariat campus has several shops operating in it and most of them are approved by the Public department, the department is in-charge of the campus. But, some of the hotels which are functioning inside are on encroached land. The land belongs to the Defence department and Archeological Society of India.

More than 6,000 staff attached to 32 departments work in the Secretariat and the hotels functioning inside the Secretariat campus are largely relying on the staff for their revenue. However, due to the encroachments the vehicles are parked outside the hotels and the narrow roads are getting choked due to it.

According to sources in Public Department, there are old and dilapidated buildings in the secretariat and in the buildings, hotels, stationary shops and other general shops are functioning without proper permission. The hotels have put on railings and had occupied a large share of land making the roads narrower.

When the officials of Public department attempted to remove the encroachments, they could not succeed as the hotel owners claimed that they are functioning with the prior permission of Defence department which is not true, added sources.

VS Kumar, under-secretary, Public (Estates) Department, agreed that the hotels are functioning on encroached land.

Speaking to DT Next, Kumar said, “When we approached the hotel owners to remove the shops they said that they have the permission from Defence department, but when I checked with the Defence officials, I found that the hotels had no permission.”

He also said that he has informed the officials of Defence department about the encroachment and had sought their help in the issue. Two of the hotels functioning at the Secretariat campus, present opposite to Namakal Kavingar building, are in the building of ASI and their cooperation is also sought, said Kumar.

He further said that as the Defence officials are out of station, they are waiting for their return to take action and assured that after the election results are over, the eviction process would be commenced.

When the hotel owners were contacted they refused to even speak on the issue and restricted the entry.