Road widening takes toll on Ballupur Chowk shops

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 4

The Mussoorie- Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) along with the district administration demolished a number of shops identified for road widening project at Ballupur Chowk here today.

The drive was carried out by the officials under tight security arrangement following protest by a section of shopkeepers who were opposing the drive. A large number of police personnel was deployed at the Ballupur Chowk to avaoid any untoward incident.

However, despite protest by shopkeepers, the demolition drive was carried out smoothly. Meenakshi Sundram, vice-president of the MDDA, said the shopkeepers who lost their shops were given ample opportunity and compensation for their demolished shops.

The administration was eager to carry out the demolition drive since the flyover project at the busy Ballupur Chowk weas getting delayed for sometime much to the inconvenience of commuters.

The recent ultimatum by Chief Minister Harish Rawat to the bureaucracy to complete the flyover project by January 26, 2016, had moved the officialdom to expedite the road widening work at the Ballupur Chowk.

The shopkeepers of Ballupur protested the demolition and alleged that they were not provided alternate business places to run their establishments and were rendered jobless.

The business community from Ballupur protested on the district headquarters campus yesterday demanding rehabilitation at most suitable place in the city.

The agitated businessmen lamented that monetary compensation given to them against their demolished shops was much lesser in comparison to the market circle rate of shops.