Ranchi: The Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has summoned the shopkeepers of Azad Basti to appear at the civic body’s office on September 24 with their shop allotment documents for verification.The move comes after RMC officials encountered an opposition when they reached the area on September 19 as part of an anti-encroachment drive. “When our teams went to remove encroachment, locals claimed that they had been allotted the shop decades ago and demanded rehabilitation. We have called them with their documents so that we can verify the ownership of the land before taking further steps,” RMC’s additional municipal commissioner Sanjay Kumar said.The notice issued by the RMC on Tuesday stated that shopkeepers, who were reportedly allotted shops in the area, must visit the RMC office on Thursday between 11 am and 4 pm for document verification.“Validity will be determined after cross-checking the documents. In case of failure to appear or establish validity, any claim regarding the shop shall be deemed improper/illegal. In light of the above, necessary action will be taken, and the Corporation will execute public utility work on its owned land,” the notice reads.The civic body owns around 19.3 decimals of land in ward number 16 near Gudri Chowk on Pathalkudwa, which it aims to reclaim to construct a community centre and an ‘Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandir’ health centre, providing local residents with essential infrastructure for community events and access to primary healthcare services.Illegal slaughterhouses operated in the area in the past, but the shops remained unused and abandoned after being closed in 2005. However, during the latest attempt to remove encroachments, officials faced protests lasting over five hours, forcing them to halt work.Ward 16 councillor Mohammad Salahuddin Aslam said, “Around 65 people claimed that they had been allotted the shops many years ago. The shops have remained closed since 2005. But the locals want rehabilitation as they claim that the shop, open or closed, belongs to them.”The corporation has appealed to area residents not to believe misleading information or rumours and to cooperate with proposed development works intended for the public good.
