Agartala, January 22 (TIWN): Amid tight security, Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) authority and police evicted 44 families adjacent to Kumaritilla Lake without giving them rehabilitation under New Capital Complex police station here today.

Earlier, the local residents of Kumaritilla and a section of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters conducted a road blockade at Circuit House area protesting the eviction drive of AMC, last night.

According to Central Zonal Officer of AMC, altogether 44 families were directed to evacuate the illegally occupied land for several times. Despite several notices, the illegally occupied land owners managed to stay here paying no attention to the AMC. Failing to evacuate the land, the AMC had also filed a writ petition at the High Court of Tripura, he said.

According to the local sources, the residents had also filed a writ petition over the issue where the High Court of Tripura reportedly imposed stay order on the eviction issue. Even with the stay order, the AMC authority Wednesday directed the 44 families through mike to evacuate the illegally occupied land within 5 am of Thursday morning, they alleged.

After getting the announcement, the angry residents of Kumaritilla Lake area blockaded the VIP road at Circuit House protesting the so called eviction drive of AMC last night. In the meantime, state president of BJP- Sudhindra Dasgupta visited the spot and interacted with the residents. During the interaction, he along with other BJP leaders admitted the logicality of protest and joined in road blockade.

Later, the protesters including BJP state president were arrested and the police brought the situation under control. They were released in the wee-hours of last night.

However, suspecting a massive protest by the angry residents, a vast contingent of police and TSR personnel was deployed at Kumaritilla.

The AMC Task Force and police jointly launched the eviction drive at Kumaritilla area from the early in morning and evicted 44 families amid suppressed resentment among the residents without giving them rehabilitation, said an official source.

Though, there were some arguments in between the police and locals, the police managed to carried out the drive accordingly.