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Day on, traders urge admin to delay demolition drive in Haridwar
The demolition drive will continue for the next few days in the civic periphery particularly around the market areas, an official in the know of the developments said
A day after Haridwar administration launched an anti-encroachment drive to decongest roads and markets in the area, the traders on Sunday have urged the officials “to postpone the move especially during the festive season”.
Following the directives of Haridwar district magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey, the officials launched an anti-encroachment drive from Saturday.
The demolition drive will continue for the next few days in the civic periphery particularly around the market areas, an official in the know of the developments said. “Anti-encroachment drive is necessary to make the city free of illegal encroachments and providing open space within markets and intersections. Legal action will be taken against those who resort to such illegal encroachments again,” said city magistrate Avdesh Singh.
Expressing resentment, two major traders’ organisation Pradesh Vyapar Mandal and Mahanagar Vyapar Mandal on Sunday urged the district administration to postpone the drive till Diwali festivities.
“Administration should try to understand that our resentment is not against the objective of the drive but against its timing,” said Pradesh Vyapar Mandal presidentSanjiv Chaudhary.
“They should have called a meeting with trader representatives prior to taking a decision regarding the anti-encroachment drive. We directed the traders to immediately remove themselves from any place where the demolition is going on and they obliged. So, the local administration should also co-operate with trader fraternity and resume the drive post-Diwali festivities,” he said.
Meanwhile, public work department executive engineer SK Tomar said: “So far, the temporary and illegal encroachments have been removed. The permanent illegal encroachments will be removed in the coming days”.
The anti- encroachment drive team comprises of the officials from municipal corporation, public works department and police. JCB and other bulldozer machines are being used to dismantle the encroachments, said an official.
The traders have meanwhile warned of resorting to agitation if the administration continues with the anti-encroachment drive.
An appeal to stop the drive has also been made by Mahanagar Vyapar Mandal while questioning the move by administrative machinery to carry out anti-encroachment drive “during peak festive season”.
“Festive season of Diwali is awaited by all businessmen, vendors and small, micro, and medium-scale traders. Several festivals, including Dhanteras, Diwali, Bhaiya Dooj, Govardhan Pooja and Chhath pooja are upcoming and all the traders have stocked and bought additional goods for it. They will suffer losses. We urge the administration to put on hold the drive till the festive season gets over. We assure of supporting the administration later,” said Mahanagar Vyapar Mandal president Sunil Shetty.
