The Times of India 30.08.2010
Shop owners’ stir to hamper MDDA’s road broadening planPNS | Dehradun
The Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) has marked 262 roadside shops in the shops on freehold property (28) and shops on Nazul land (234), to be affected by the planed broadening of the Chakrata Road.
However, owners of shops on freehold property are dissatisfied with the MDDA and downed the shutters of their shops in protest.
Observers state that though the number of shops marked as freehold property is less, the opposition of the owners could nonetheless prevent the planned broadening of the road from being executed smoothly.
The MDDA officials state that now with the demarcation of shops being completed, a meeting will be held with the Chakrata Road shop owners in the near future to help finalise the arrangement for relocation of the shopkeepers to a site near the Clock Tower.
At least three rounds of talks have been held so far between the MDDA and Chakrata Road shopkeepers before the shop were divide into two factions.
Earlier, the owners of the freehold properties had demanded that they be accorded priority in allocation of alternative shops near Clock Tower because they had paid fees to the Government during registration of their ownership, unlike those owning shops on Nazul land.
The owners of these 28 shops also held a meeting with MDDA secretary Sushil Kumar Sharma to discuss their position and demand.
However, the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority rejected the demand of these shopkeepers for preferential treatment.
It is believed that since owners of freehold properties number 28 while those with shops on Nazul land are more than 200, the MDDA is not in favour of displeasing the majority by according preferential treatment to the minority.
However, observers state that if the owners of shops marked freehold property decide to step up their opposition of the process of shifting shops, the planned broadening of Chakrata Road would be delayed further.
