RANCHI: The Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has issued eviction notices to occupants of 232 flats provided under the Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP) programme in Madhukam and Rugdigarha areas here. The move aims to reclaim houses intended for eligible beneficiaries.
Out of 336 flats in Madhukam, 140 are reportedly occupied without documentation. Out of 352 flats in Rugdigarha, 92 were taken over.
Assistant municipal commissioner Chandradeep Kumar said, “We have asked the residents to provide documents proving that their houses were demolished in the past during the anti-encroachment drives and that they were allotted these houses by the govt. Before and after photographs of their house demolition would help us verify. Those who have forcefully occupied flats by breaking locks will be evicted.”
Anita Kumari (25), who has been living in Rugdigarha for over a decade, said, “We have nowhere to go. If they force us to leave, we will be homeless. To save our houses, we need to get papers in a short time, which is not possible for many of us.”
Vijay Xalxo, who claims to have been residing in the area since 1950, said, “I have lived here my entire life. Now, they are asking me to leave without any alternative.”
The tension escalated when on February 1, notices were affixed to these flats in Rugdigarha, instructing occupants to vacate by February 5 and 6.
In response, the residents gathered at the RMC office on Tuesday, voicing their grievances and highlighting the lack of alternative housing options.
However, Kumar added, “The RMC has invited applications for flat allotments. Decisions will be made upon receiving the necessary documents. The rest of the people residing there have given authentic documents and claimed the flats.”
