Demolition drive leaves traders disappointed

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, June 1

The demolition drive begun by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at Dharampur to take possession of land for four-laning of the Parwanoo-Solan highway has left a large number of traders disappointed as they have failed to get any compensation.

A large section of such traders were operating from concrete shops constructed along the highway on the land leased out to them by the state government. As no ownership rights have been recognized by the government they have been denied any compensation. Even the structures built by them have failed to fetch them any monetary relief.

With little alternative arrangement to operate their shops, these hapless people were now facing an uncertain future.

The demolition drive which began on Tuesday was carried out in the presence of police posse to ensure smooth operations. Apart from the shops located in Sukhi Jori area including Giani-Da-Dhabha, other structures like Modern Dhaba were razed to the ground within minutes.

Since the residents were issued directions to vacate their premises, traders were seen shifting their wares from shops located in the main bazar prior to these demolitions.

With the Revenue Department having failed to update its records a section of residents rued that their authorized structures have also been termed as encroachments and they have been denied compensations.

Payment was yet to be disbursed owing to non–production of affidavits on this 40-km stretch from Parwanoo, informed Deputy Commissioner, Rakesh Kanwar, who has urged the persons concerned to collect dues from the SDM.

Anil Kalra, an aggrieved resident, whose 3 biswa land has been kept out of the purview of compensation in the absence of apt revenue entries, said he has been given compensation for merely 4 biswas.

Echoing similar views Naresh Gupta, another resident, said it was appalling to note that a stretch of 2 biswa land near Modern Dhaba, which was a Sanatam Dharam property since 1932, too was not registered in the revenue records despite building maps and other requisite information being available with him. He added that they were trying to rehabilitate such traders by constructing some shops on the land owned by Sanatam Dharam on the Subathu Road though the state government had failed to come up with any such policy despite the issue having been raised before the Chief Minister last year.

The residents rued that the failure of the revenue department to update their records has cost them dear and they have been unfairly denied the due compensation.

As the project was slated to be completed by March next year the NHAI was trying to speed up this work as only 16 per cent work has been completed till now.

Face uncertain future

• A large section of traders were operating from concrete shops constructed along the highway on the land leased out to them by the state government. 
• As no ownership rights have been recognised by the government, they have been denied any compensation. 
• Even the structures built by them have failed to fetch them any monetary relief.
• With little alternative arrangement to operate their shops, these hapless people were now facing an uncertain future.