The Times of India 30.11.2013
Civic body surveys Bhangar Bazaar scrap market shops
NASHIK: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Friday started measurement of the Bhangar Bazar scrap market along Satpur-Ambad Link Road. The move came as a precursor to demolishing it as per the orders of the Supreme Court.
Deputy municipal commissioner (tax and anti-encroachment) R M Bahiram said, "Two years ago, we conducted a survey in the scrap market and marked numbers on 523 sheds, which carried out illegal scrap business. We started demarcating them once again just to verify the number before taking further action."
In January 2011, Dilip Datir, former corporator of Shiv Sena, had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) against the Satpur-Ambad Scrap Market Association, demanding removal of the scrap market. The high court ordered the scrap market's removal in July 2011.
Later, the association had moved the Supreme Court, seeking an extended deadline for removal of the market. But, the Supreme Court upheld the high court's order in April 2012. However, the association did not remove the scrap market despite order from the Supreme Court.
Datir then filed a contempt petition against the association for defying the Bombay high court's order to remove the scrap market. A hearing took place on October 21, 2013, where the Supreme Court ordered that the high court should direct the civic body to remove the scrap market. The order was passed by the division bench of Justice Deepak Mishra and Justice A R Dave on October 21.
The order was passed by the division bench of Justice Deepak Mishra and Justice A R Dave on October 21 after hearing Datir's contempt petition filed against the Satpur-Ambad Scrap Market Association for defying the orders of the Bombay High Court to remove their scrap market.
On Friday, around 10 NMC employees, with a security force of 20 policemen, carried out the demarcation.
D V Ghule, deputy engineer of the NMC's town planning department, said that the demarcation would continue for a few days. He added that the process was conducted without any opposition from the scrap dealers.
The scrap dealers said they had not objected the move as the final orders were passed by the court. However, they said that they wished to legalize their scrap business in the same area.
The market has come up in a residential zone and the local people had complained of illegal activities and unhygienic conditions due to the scrap market.
Datir said that it was not necessary to mark the shops once again. "It has already been done. Now, the NMC should remove them. I will wait for a week or else will be compelled to file another petition at the high court," he said.
