Imphal: Authorities on Saturday carried out an eviction drive along the Keishampat to Malom stretch on the Imphal Airport road in Imphal West district of Manipur to remove unauthorized structures encroaching on public spaces.
The drive, led by the Imphal West district administration, was conducted with support from the Manipur Police, CRPF, and revenue department officials.
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A JCB machine was deployed during the operation. The eviction was supervised by Imphal West Deputy Commissioner Mayanglangbam Rajkumar.
According to the Deputy Commissioner, the action is part of a wider campaign to clear public areas of illegal constructions such as house extensions, shops, sheds, and debris that have been obstructing roads and footpaths, leading to traffic congestion in parts of Imphal city and near the airport.
The eviction is being carried out under provisions of the Manipur Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1978.
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Rajkumar stated that the drive will continue and appealed to the public, particularly shopkeepers, to refrain from encroaching on public property.
The eviction comes a day after street vendors at Khuman Lampak staged a sit-in protest against the district administration’s order to remove all temporary and permanent structures by 3 pm on Friday.
Sapam Indira, secretary of the Ima Panthoibi Street Vendors’ Union, said vendors have been operating in the area for over ten years and described the eviction order as unreasonable. She also referred to a previous Supreme Court stay on eviction until proper trade facilities are arranged. The stay was issued during the tenure of the earlier Congress-led government.
The district administration has not issued any fresh response to the vendors’ appeal at the time of reporting.