Illegal occupants of Cidco houses evicted

AURANGABAD: The Cidco authorities on Friday finally succeeded in vacating 29 houses in Shivaji Nagar from the clutches of illegal occupants who have been living there for the past 15 years. The vacating process was carried out under the presence of police officials and private security men.
Under its eleventh housing scheme, the Cidco had built these houses in 1996 for lower income group families.The authorities had allotted the single room households to eligible persons. Out of the total household, 29 people failed to pay the money. Thus these units remained vacant and were in possession of the Cidco.
Later, some people broke open the households and occupied it illegally. Some of them had even sold or rented it to others.
Cidco authorities had attempted to vacate the units on several occasions but due to pressure from the occupants they could not accomplish the task. But on Friday, the authorities not only removed the illegal occupants but also demolished unauthorised constructions carried by the occupants and put a seal on all the 29 blocks, making the occupants homeless.
“I have been staying here along with my children and wife for more than 15 years. Many a times I offered to pay the applicable charges to the authorities but they turned down the offer. And today they have made us homeless. Now I have no place to stay,” said Sharif Khan, one of the occupants.
Raviu Jadhav, another occupant, said he was tenant. “I am unaware of the legal status of the household. I have already paid my monthly rent to the land lord but now the authorities have pushed me out of the block and put a seal. It is a peak winter season and I don’t have a roof over my head,” he said.
G R Satote, chief controller anti-encroachment cell Cidco, said the occupants were illegally occupying the blocks. “Cidco has served several notices to the occupants asking them to leave the space. But they ignored the notice,” he said.