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Industrialists’ protest throws traffic out of gear in Chandigarh

By, Chandigarh
Aug 30, 2024 09:08 AM IST

The protest, held by traders from across Chandigarh, was part of a larger demonstration to push for the fulfilment of their long-pending demands

Traffic across several key areas of the city was severely disrupted on Thursday after traders, under the banner of the Joint Forum for Chandigarh Industries, staged a protest march to voice their long-standing demands.

The demonstrators issued a stern ultimatum, stating that if their demands were not met with a concrete response within 10 days, they will enforce a complete shutdown of Chandigarh. (HT Photo)
The demonstrators issued a stern ultimatum, stating that if their demands were not met with a concrete response within 10 days, they will enforce a complete shutdown of Chandigarh. (HT Photo)

The protest began at 10 am and led to significant congestion along the planned route, with traffic coming to a near standstill at multiple points.

The march commenced from Makahan Shah Lubana Bhawan in Sector 30 and moved towards Punjab Raj Bhavan, passing through major busy points, including the Sector 20 market, the Sector 20/21 light point, the Sector 18/19 light point, AP Chowk and Hira Singh Chowk.

Commuters were advised in advance to take alternative routes to avoid the expected disruptions. However, despite these warnings, the protest march caused major traffic jams, particularly at the Tribune Chowk, Sector 20/21 light point and Hira Singh Chowk, where vehicles were stuck in gridlock for nearly an hour.

Many commuters, including office-goers and schoolchildren, faced immense delays due to the protest. The movement of vehicles slowed to a crawl, with some drivers opting to take detours through less congested sectors.

The protest, held by traders from across the city, was part of a larger demonstration to push for the fulfilment of their long-pending demands. Wearing black clothes, the traders marched from the Electrical Market in Ram Darbar to the Tribune Chowk, braving the rain to make their voices heard.

Among their demands was permission for business-to-consumer (B2C) activities within industrial areas, freehold occupancy of commercial and industrial plots, need-based changes, increasing the floor area ratio (FAR), approval of a One-Time Settlement (OTS) policy for pending VAT assessment cases, shareholding registry and a conversion policy for 3,000 small industrial plots.

The demonstrators issued a stern ultimatum, stating that if their demands were not met with a concrete response within 10 days, they will enforce a complete shutdown of Chandigarh.

The protest march concluded at 1 pm after the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) arrived at the scene and accepted the traders’ memorandum of demands. Following this, the traffic flow gradually returned to normal.

Naveen Manglani, vice-president of the Chamber of Chandigarh Industries, emphasised that the traders’ patience had worn thin, and they were prepared to escalate their actions if their demands were not met. Representatives from all major political parties supported the protest and the administration had been given 20 days to respond positively to the traders’ demands.

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