THE BHOPAL Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the district administration on Sunday removed illegal structures from the area around Hanuman Mandir in New Market amid opposition from the Mandir Committee members.
On Saturday evening, a group of Hindu activists stalled removal work. The BMC demolition squad on Sunday resumed the removal and shifted shopkeepers from the area. The shops in the area encroached roads near the temple, creating problems to the visitors. District Collector SK Mishra, who visited the area to inspect the removal work, said the markets got crowded in festive season and it was necessary to remove illegal structures to provide enough space for the movement of visitors.
BMC Commissioner Manish Singh said the shops near the temple were blocking the roads. He said the shops were illegal as the BMC had stopped the realisation of tehbazari in New Market. The Hanuman Mandir Committee office-bearers staged a three-hour dharna against the removal.
They said the committee has been rented out this place for the past several years and the administration was wrong in removing them. Some 50 shopkeepers of New Market were learnt to have given an application to the BMC and the district administration for removal of the shops.
{{/usCountry}}They said the committee has been rented out this place for the past several years and the administration was wrong in removing them. Some 50 shopkeepers of New Market were learnt to have given an application to the BMC and the district administration for removal of the shops.
{{/usCountry}}The shopkeepers whose shops were removed were told to shift to an open space in front of the State Bank India’s main branch. The BMC also removed goods kept on roads by the shopkeepers. Superintendent of Police Anant Kumar Singh accompanied the district collector and the BMC commissioner during the inspection.