BJP, Congress make mockery of anti-encroachment drives

Abhyudaya Kotnala

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Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 18

A tussle between BJP and Congress councillors continues to disrupt anti-encroachment drives in the city. Officials of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) are in dilemma how to act against encroachers. At present most of the streets and markets in the city are facing the problem of encroachments, which have allegedly been done in connivance with BJP and Congress leaders. This can be understood from the recent tussle between the BJP and Congress councillors as the leaders of both parties are trying to protect encroachment done by their people and instead demanding demolition of structures built illegally by others. Meanwhile, the DMC plan of making the city encroachment free remain in limbo.

The involvement of the councillors in the issue can be judged from the fact that a Cabinet minister belonging to the Congress had recently interrupted an anti-encroachment drive in the Bhandari Bagh area. Yesterday, a team of DMC officials and the zebra force went to demolish encroachments in the Bhandari Bagh area of the city. But after demolishing a few structures the team suddenly stopped the drive. According to sources, the Cabinet minister he threatened the DMC officials that they would be transferred from the city if they demolished structures illegally built by his supporters. This irked the BJP councilors and they demanded demolition of some encroachments from the area. But the demoralised DMC team returned.

Meanwhile, DMC officials are refusing to comment on the issue, while Congress leaders are rejecting the allegations made by the BJP. This means the people of the city will continue to face the growing problem of encroachments on public land.

BJP councillors protest

The BJP councilors held a protest at the DMC here on Tuesday in support of their demand for impartiality in removal of encroachments in the city. They alleged that Congress leaders were threatening DMC officials not to remove encroachments  due to which the officials are backtracking from demolishing encroachments. They also demanded making a list of encroachments on prime land in the city and their demolition immediately. They said they would provide all possible support to the DMC officials, but if the DMC backtracked, they would start an agitation against it.

Affected areas

Patel Nagar, Paltan Market, Chakrata Road, Rajpur Road, Karanpur, Haridwar Road, Saharanpur Road are some of the prime areas of the city that are facing the problem of encroachments