Ayodhya: In a decisive crackdown on the illegal occupation of government property, the Ayodhya district administration has successfully reclaimed a prime piece of Nazul land worth crores of rupees. According to Additional District Magistrate (Finance and Revenue) Amit Kumar Bhatt, the high-stakes operation targeted a massive plot registered under Gata Number 4108 Mi., spanning an area of 0.7380 hectares, which equals approximately 79,180 square feet. While this sprawling land had been leased out in the past, the lease term expired long ago, officially reverting the absolute ownership of the property back to the state government.
Illegal Subletting and Commercial Racket Uncovered
The administrative investigation into the property exposed a deeply entrenched illegal commercial network operating on the government site. It was revealed that the heirs of the former leaseholder, Rajkrishna Manucha, had unauthorizedly rented out an old building standing on the land to the Electricity Department. Although the majority of the department’s administrative offices had already shifted to a new location, one room was still actively being used for electricity billing operations. Furthermore, authorities discovered that nearly a dozen individuals had illegally erected wooden and iron kiosks across the plot. These encroachers were running factories, retail shops, restaurants, a motor washing center, and busy commercial bus booking offices, while the heirs of the former leaseholder illicitly pocketed the rent collected from them.
Joint Enforcement Task Force Clears and Seals the Property
The final eviction followed due legal process initiated by the district administration, which had served a formal notice to the concerned heirs last month. The notice demanded the immediate submission of valid lease extensions or any legal evidence supporting their occupancy, but the heirs failed to produce any legitimate documentation. Consequently, a joint enforcement team comprising officials from the Revenue Department and the Municipal Corporation launched a massive demolition and eviction drive on Saturday. Heavy machinery and enforcement personnel cleared the entire area, removing all unauthorized shops, kiosks, restaurants, factories, and booking centers. The entire perimeter has been secured, and the permanent building structure on the premises has been officially sealed by the authorities to prevent any future encroachment.
