Cuttack: After a two-day halt, the administration on Thursday resumed demolition of illegal religious structures in the city.
Six bulldozers and over 60 personnel were engaged in the demolition with a mutt and an ashram in CDA area being pulled down, official sources said.
The drive aimed at freeing up about 50 acre of prime government land in the city from unauthorised religious structures that have come up on public roads and on the banks of the rivers Mahanadi and Kathjodi.
The district administration had earlier demolished 15 religious structures in the city, the sources said.
The Orissa High Court had on Tuesday rejected a batch of review petitions thereby giving clear indication that all religious structures which have come up on government lands should be removed.
Notwithstanding protests by local people, temple priests and religious scholars in the city have decided not to protest the demolition.
"We will not protest or restrain the authorities from demolishing our temple as we do not want to disrespect or dishonour the orders of the high court," said a priest of a temple located at Markat Nagar.
PTI
