Puri: Puri district administration Saturday demolished three private houses in Dhankuti Sahi in Manikarnika lane located within 75-metre zone around the Meghanad Wall of Srimandir.
The demolished houses were sold to the district administration voluntarily by the house owners to develop Puri as a world heritage site and construct a security zone around the Srimandir.
There were 298 families living on a private property coming under the 75-metre zone. Two platoons of police and magistrate were present during the demolition.
Earlier, the Puri district and municipal administration had demolished the city main market and Mahodadhi market buildings after declaring them unsafe.
Before demolition, the administration had assured to allocate shops to shop owners whose shops were demolished in the new complexes after the construction of modern market complexes as early as possible.
Unfortunately, after shifting debris from these demolished market sites the ground was levelled and these were converted into a parking place for light vehicles.
About 300 businessmen hoped that the administration would consider their plight and construct the market buildings soon.
Every day thousands of rupees are being collected from visitors as parking fees. Local legislator Jayant Kumar Sarangi told reporters that he believed that construction work of modern market complexes would begin soon but he wondered why these are being used as parking places.
Bijay Dash, the executive officer of the civic body, said the municipality market along the Badadanda is entrusted to a party through tender to collect parking fee from light vehicles. The construction of the market building would start from January, the Executive officer said.