SIDE-EFFECTS OF DEMOLITION DRIVE

Total chaos and panic at Clock Tower shopping complex

Dehradun December 21
Ever since the demolition drive has been suspended on the Chakrata road, the focus has shifted towards the new shopping complex at Clock Tower, where chaos and panic loomed large all over the place. Some people were seen holding a protest with banners, others talked at length with officers. Some, congregating in large groups, slammed the state government for its “confused” approach on this sensitive issue. Traders, who could not bear the losses any more, began selling eatables outside the complex itself.

Madhu Chawla, who runs a South Indian food outlets, was aghast at the confusion prevailing in the demarcation of the area of the shops. Showing her new allotted shop, she said: “It is weird that I was given the middle portion of two shops, for which I had to break the middle wall. But the very next day, I was given some other measurement. This way five new measurements have been given in the last three days now. MDDA officials have asked me once again to wait for the next 36 hours for a final demarcation.”

She complained of lack of water lines in the premises, which is of paramount importance to her food

outlet. “We suffered two days without electricity at our home on the Chakrata road. This new shop is not ready and we have stored material of our shop at our neighbor’s place. A lot of our readymade stuff had to be thrown in the drain, as we were informed just 8 hours before the demolition drive,” she said.

Swarnlata, house owner, said she was not ready to shift to new flats provided by the MDDA for relocation for its small size. “I cannot accept a flat of 44 ft in exchange of my house of 65 ft. I need two such flats to accommodate my family of 11 persons,” she said.

Shopkeepers began selling Chinese food outside complex, alleging that they could no longer wait to get new shops, as the matter had got delayed due to wrong demarcations. A bakery owner said he would also do likewise tomorrow.

Gurmeet Sethi, the lady who has become resolute after getting support from the Sikh fraternity over demanding first front shop as was allotted earlier, said: “MDDA officials came in the morning to remove banners of protest from my shop and threw us but after we resisted vehemently, they went away. For the last two days, we are sleeping in this vacant shop.”

The influential people need not to bother as their interests are well safeguarded. Work in two shops allotted to Kumar Sweets was proceeding peacefully, despite the mayhem existing all around.

On Chakrata road, the traffic began moving to and fro in the morning, which was directed to one way because of the demolition in the Hanuman temple on the road on the left side. Some of the shopkeepers were seen packing their articles silently, without any commotion on the site.