Demolition drive comes to halt as marble traders block road in Dhanas

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 6

A demolition drive at the Dhanas Marble Market was stopped after shopkeepers held a demonstration and blocked the road today in protest against the action by the Estate Office.

A team of the Estate Office reached the marble market around 9 am and partially or fully demolished nearly 40 shops and godowns. As soon as shopkeepers came to know about the drive, they rushed to the spot and opposed the drive. They staged a dharna on the road.

Sood flays move

When the rehabilitation plan has been finalised, it is wrong to carry out such a drive all of a sudden. The shopkeepers should have been allotted shops before starting a drive to demolish their establishments at Dhanas. Arun Sood, Chandigarh BJP President

City BJP leaders condemned the Estate Office action and also joined the protest against the drive.

In the meantime, a large number of police personnel also reached the spot and rounded up the traders, who were blocking the road. They were later let off.

An official of the Estate Office said notices were issued to the traders several times against the illegal construction of the shops. He said the remaining shops would also be demolished soon and the land would be freed of encroachment.

Opposing the action of the UT Administration, city BJP president Arun Sood, who also came out in support of the protesting traders, said when the rehabilitation plan had been finalised, it was wrong to carry out such a drive all of a sudden. He said the shopkeepers should have been allotted shops before starting a drive to demolish their establishments at Dhanas.

Anand Gupta, president of Dhanas Marble Traders Welfare Association, said he would meet officials of the UT Administration in this regard and the drive would be opposed. The traders demanded that the Administration should accommodate them soon under the Sector 39-West rehabilitation scheme.

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