Opposing demolition drive, Karanpur traders down shutter

DEHRADUN: Anti-encroachment teams undertaking the Uttarakhand high court-ordered drive had to face resistance from traders in the Ballupur area of

Dehradun

on Monday. As the team headed by the city magistrate reached the spot, the traders in the area came out in protest. The traders alleged that the markings made by officials were wrong and arbitrary.

Karanpur traders also shut down the entire market in protest against the drive. Some traders alleged that the team had already marked and demolished the encroachments in the area but they again came and started marking spots on Monday. Traders have also announced a ‘Dehradun Bandh’ on August 28 against the

demolition drive

.

A protesting Ballupur trader said, “The authorities are marking the shops in the area without even considering our views. They have an old map which does not even have the width of the road mentioned on it and using this they are demolishing our livelihood.”

City magistrate Manuj Goyal, however, said that facing such resistances was normal for them. “This is not the first time that we have faced resistance from residents or traders. But we have continued with marking structures encroaching on government land and the demolition drive will also continue.”

Anil Rastogi, senior vice-president of Karanpur Vyapar Mandal, said, “They came and marked the encroachments in the first week of July. After which we demolished the structures ourselves but then they returned and started marking the shops again on Monday. How can they mark the same shops and markets twice?”

After receiving complaints, officials of the demolition task force said that a joint team, headed by SDM Sadar will visit the market on Tuesday and check the markings again. “We will visit the market and check if the markings and demolition carried out earlier were correct,” said SDM Pratyush Singh.

Meanwhile, on Monday, 29 encroachments were demolished and 70 were identified, taking the toll of demolition to 3,427 and identification to 7,088. Also, 108 buildings have been sealed so far.