Aurangabad: Owners of makeshift shops, garages and stalls on either side of the Beed Bypass Road on Tuesday opposed removal of “encroachments”, citing stay orders of the High Court in 2017.Not budging despite pressure from people in the area, the authorities removed several encroachments starting from the Deolai Crossroad. Even one constructed structure was razed after police insisted on removing all encroachments.Most of the shops that were removed were found to have been rented out, and tenants were left fuming. Most of the landlords just stayed away while the anti-encroachment drive was on. Locals say authorities had not issued any prior notice and were acting arbitrarily.Police had taken cognizance of frequent fatal accidents on the Beed Bypass stretch and put their weight behind the civic body’s anti-encroachment drive. Police say that although there is a ‘maintain status quo’ order from HC, people are violating it rampantly by carrying out construction or putting up makeshift stalls.“Status quo order is binding on the state as well as other parties. The ground reality is that construction has continued and space reserved even for the service road has been taken up,” a senior police officer said.Local people said over a dozen people have reached out to the HC, which in 2017 gave a status quo order.Despite that, the civic authorities have gone ahead with the drive.

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