In a massive anti encroachment drive on May 22, the enforcement team of Ghaziabad Development Authority along with the city police razed nine kiosks in the premises of Indirapuram Habitat Centre, a commercial hub situated in the heart of Indirapuram.
Dayanand Prasad, officer on special duty (OSD), GDA, told City Spidey, “The kiosks had to be demolished as they were constructed in the common area of the compound.”
According to GDA officials, Shipra Estate Limited, a real estate developer’s marketing office in Vaibhav Khand, and a flat in Abhay Khand were also sealed as part of the drive. Six illegally constructed shops in Kanauni village were demolished.
“Shipra Estate's office had to be sealed as the real estate developer owed Rs 167 crore to the Authority,” Prasad added.
Speaking to City Spidey, the management of the Indirapuram Habitat Centre said that they did not receive any notice in advance from GDA in this regard. “Each of these kiosks has an average cost of around three to four lakh, and was not a concrete construction. We had already applied for permissions from the GDA and had allotted the kiosks on this basis. The goods in the shops were not damaged as the owners did not store them there and the shops were not open during the drive,” said a management official.
A paan shop, a biryani stall, a milk shake and ice cream stall were among the shops that were brought down by the Authority’s bulldozer.
Residents of the township told City Spidey that it was a good move by the Authority as the kiosks were increasing in number and would have taken over the entire open space soon. However, some residents maintained that the kiosks would soon crop up again.
