Anti-encroachment drive: Car showroom demolished amid tight security arrangement in Jammu

Jammu, Feb 11 (PTI) Authorities on Saturday demolished a car showroom during an anti-encroachment drive to retrieve state land here, a week after abandoning the exercise in the face of stone-pelting by a group of agitated locals.

The showroom of M G Hector at Malik market along Narwal bypass was demolished by the revenue department under stringent security arrangements, officials said.

They said police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in strength in the locality and adjoining Bhatindi, Sunjwan and Channi before the bulldozers were moved in the morning to bring down the building.

The bypass from Bhatindi to the Sunjwan Army garrison was also closed for vehicular traffic, while security forces were seen patrolling the interior localities to maintain law and order.

On February 4, the area witnessed stone-pelting when the joint teams of revenue and police officials started razing the building, forcing them to abandon the process.

Several persons were arrested following the clashes which had left a policeman injured.

Even as major political parties including the National Conference, the Congress and the PDP have voiced their concerns against the drive and demanded an immediate end to it, the authorities have so far retrieved more than 10 lakh kanals of land across Jammu and Kashmir after the Commissioner Secretary, Revenue department, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri directed all deputy commissioners to ensure 100 per cent removal of encroachments from the state land including Roshni and Kahcharai (grazing) on January 7.