Rajkot civic body clears illegal constructions worth Rs 94 crore near TRP fire site

Rajkot, Sep 12 (IANS) In a fresh demolition drive following the TRP Game Zone fire tragedy, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) on Friday cleared illegal constructions spread across three high-value plots collectively worth over Rs 94 crore.

The Town Planning (TP) Department razed six huts and a large shed covering 9,923 sq.m. of land, including areas reserved for social infrastructure and educational facilities.

According to RMC officials, the action covered: a sheet shed on 3,695 sq.m. of land opposite the burnt TRP Game Zone, reserved for social infrastructure and valued at Rs 36.95 crore; three huts on a 1,004 sq.m. residential plot worth Rs 10 crore near Sayaji Hotel; and three more huts on 5,224 sq.m. of land in Nanamwa’s R.K. Nagar Main Road, earmarked for a school and valued at Rs 47.01 crore.

Despite the large-scale clearance, officials did not disclose the identities of those who had encroached on the plots.

In addition, the civic body used bulldozers to clear a 200-meter stretch of encroachments along a 15-meter-wide TP road near Laxminagar Nala.

At Silver Gold Residency in Nanamwa, an illegal 42 sq m commercial construction raised by Bhupatbhai Gamara on margin space was also demolished, after repeated notices under Section 260(1) and 260(2) went unheeded.

The crackdown comes amid heightened scrutiny of illegal structures across Rajkot, particularly in areas adjoining the TRP Game Zone, where one of the state’s deadliest fire incidents claimed multiple lives earlier this year.

On May 25, 2024, a massive fire broke out at the TRP Game Zone, an indoor recreational facility in the Nana-Mava area of Rajkot, Gujarat.

The blaze spread rapidly through the structure, which was largely made of inflammable materials like fibre sheets, plywood, and tin sheds.

At least 33 people, including children, were killed, making it one of the deadliest fire incidents in Gujarat in recent years.

Many victims were trapped inside as the game zone reportedly had inadequate fire safety measures and insufficient exits. Investigations revealed that the facility was operating without proper fire safety clearance and had flouted multiple building and safety regulations.

The Rajkot Municipal Corporation and local officials came under severe criticism for negligence and allowing the game zone to function despite repeated warnings.

--IANS

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