Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The anti-encroachment department of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) has started action against people accused of spreading a misleading video related to a recent demolition drive carried out in the Seven Hills area of the city.
Last week, the civic body conducted an anti-encroachment drive on the road stretching from Seven Hills to Shahnoor Mia Dargah. During the operation, officials removed encroachments created by earthen pot sellers near Francilian School in Seven Hills. According to the corporation, the roadside encroachments were causing inconvenience to pedestrians and affecting traffic movement in the area.
False Videos Surfaced?
After the drive, a video began circulating on social media showing a physically challenged woman collecting broken earthen pots. The video claimed that the woman earned her livelihood by selling pots and alleged that the municipal corporation had acted unfairly against her.
Municipal Commissioner Amol Yedge and anti-encroachment squad chief Santosh Wahule later looked into the matter and met the woman seen in the video.
Inquiry Reveals No Connection…
Officials said the inquiry revealed that the woman had no connection with the pot-selling business. According to the corporation, some unidentified persons allegedly used the woman in the video to create sympathy and spread misleading information on social media. The woman’s mother and sister also reportedly expressed anger over the circulation of the video.
Civic officials said the woman is a beggar from the Gajanan Maharaj area and not one of the pot sellers affected by the anti-encroachment action. The administration has now started the process of filing complaints against those responsible for circulating the video.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Amol Yedge said the woman has been included in the list of beneficiaries eligible for the municipal corporation’s livelihood assistance scheme. Under the scheme, she will receive a monthly allowance of Rs 3,500, he said.
