Jaipur: Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) served ‘90A’ eviction notices on shop owners along the Sodala-Gurjar Ki Thadi stretch of New Sanganer Road Sunday night, ordering the removal of encroached sections of the road within seven days, failing which the development authority will evict them from the affected four-and-a-half-kilometre stretch.Shop owners, however, opposed the move, alleging that they have official land leases predating Master Plan 2025, implementation of which began in 2011.JDA’s action follows a Rajasthan High Court direction to clear encroachments and widen the road to 100 feet in line with Jaipur’s Master Plan 2025.Enforcement wing DIG Anand Sharma said the civic authority identified 250 shops as encroachments. “Notices have been served, and if the occupants fail to move within the stated deadline, JDA will start an eviction drive,” Sharma said.JDA had earmarked encroachments on the basis of a survey it conducted following the court order.Speaking to TOI, Secretary, New Sanganer Road Trade Association,Amit Sharma said, “We are willing to give up portions of the shops that JDA plans to take over as part of its road widening drive. However, we should be compensated for the same because we have valid documents to show proof of ownership.”The protests also took on a political hue, with former minister and ex-Civil Lines MLA Pratap Singh Khachariyawas pointing to affected shop owners possessing valid documents. He said if portions of the properties are to be demolished for road widening, affected shopkeepers should be compensated adequately or be rehabilitated before the demolition drive is undertaken.“Many shop owners got their land leases before JDA implemented Master Plan 2025. The lease documents show them as clear owners of the entire property. Now, following court orders to widen the road as per Master Plan 2025, govt has declared them encroachers to evade paying compensation,” the former minister alleged.
