Staff Reporter :
Fate of several hundred people has become uncertain when the Ministry of Works has initiated a drive in AGB Coloney in the city’s Motijheel area to evacuate the vulnerable buildings fearing possible earth quake.
Allegations have been raised that the authorities planned an eviction drive to vacate the dilapidated buildings without settling the accommodation issue. PWD officials said the possibility of continuation of such drive is very little due to fear of political interest.
The authority on Tuesday started a campaign urging the residents to quit their houses through the loudspeakers. The New Nation Photojournalist took snaps of the event.
Officials said, the buildings identified for eviction are B-33, B-34, B-35, B-36, B-85 and B-97. These buildings were constructed in 1952 and initially allotted to sweepers. Later these were allocated to the fourth class employees of the government.
Around 1000 people are living in 84 flats of these buildings with risk of collapse. But the low-paid fourth class government employees do not have any alternative. They do not have the ability to rent a private house to live.
Although the government took decision to evict the residents from seven risky buildings in AGB Colony many years ago, it could not be implemented till to date as the Public Works Department has not given green signal to the Directorate of Government Accommodation [DGA], sources said.
PWD in April 2005 put up signboards at seven buildings declaring them risky and abandoned as the authorities feared of major accidents any time. But no initiative was taken till to date. The new step is visible after the Nepal earth quake that caused cracks on several buildings and left some others tilted.
