Traders, municipal official clash over encroachment drive in Haridwar

Haridwar: Officials of Haridwar Municipal Corporation and local traders locked horns during an anti-encroachment drive on Tuesday, culminating in civic body workers dumping garbage in front of a trader leader’s shop. The action prompted furious shopkeepers to shut down the market in protest, demanding the immediate suspension of additional municipal commissioner Deepak Nath Goswami. Both parties stepped back by evening, after which traders reopened the market and municipal workers cleared the garbage from the road.The confrontation erupted when Goswami requested trader leader Sanjeev Nayyar to remove a generator placed on the road as part of the anti-encroachment drive, leading to a heated argument. Irked after Nayyar allegedly misbehaved with the officer, municipal workers retaliated by dumping the waste outside his shop.Both sides later submitted written complaints regarding the incident. While the traders have demanded the suspension of the municipal officer, civic authorities have maintained that the matter should be investigated impartially. The district administration has since assured a fair inquiry.District magistrate Mayur Dixit told TOI, “We are discussing the issue with the traders to resolve the dispute. However, there will be no compromise on encroachment. We have requested the traders to remove the encroachments themselves.”