Urban News

The Hindu  29.10.2010

Demolition of unauthorised places of worship opposed

Staff Correspondent

They stage a dharna in front of Deputy Commissioner's office

Bagalkot: Members of the Devastana Samrakshana Samiti and pro-Hindutva organisations called for a Bagalkot city bandh for an indefinite period on Thursday in protest against the move of the district administration and the Bagalkot Development Authority (BDA) to demolish unauthorised temples and mosques.

As soon as the demolition began, members of several organisations started raising slogans against the district administration and demanded that the drive against unauthorised temples and mosques be stopped immediately.

They also staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office here on Thursday.

When the officers did not respond to the plea of the agitators and continued with demolishing unauthorised constructions, the latter declared that an indefinite bandh would be observed in Bagalkot city with immediate effect.

Members of the protesting organisations said that the bandh would not be called off until the authorities concerned announced that they would not demolish the temples and mosques constructed unauthorisedly.

The Pioneer  28.10.2010

PNS | DEHRADUN

In a move to decongest roads in the Paltan Bazaar area a joint team of Dehradun police and Municipal Corporation of Dehradun on Wednesday carried out anti-encroachment drive and seized goods placed on footpath at both sides.

The anti-encroachment team faced stiff resistance from the traders who were adamant to continue keeping goods on footpath. Heated arguments were exchanged between the police and traders.

The traders for a while even shouted slogans against the police and MCD officials. The anti-encroachment team however refused to bow against the pressure and continued with the drive and seized goods found placed on roadside.

It is pertinent to mention that the Paltan Bazaar these days is most congested area of the city. With the onset of festive season while large number of shopper each day thronged to the Bazaar, the shop keeper also have extended their shops and covered almost 5 feet of the road from both sides.

In addition to encroachment, disorderly parking of vehicles of shopkeepers as well as shoppers left very little space for pedestrians to move in the market.

Many a times in the past too, MCD supported by police carried out anti-encroachment drive in this market. But the traders on the very next day again extend shops to road.

According to officials the traders extend the shops in order to out do their neighbors. They had the feeling that the customers will not come to their shop if its stands behind the other neighboring shops.

As the congestion at roads in Paltan is increasing day by day especially with the onset of festive season, the team of MCD and Police led by Assistant City Officer Prahlad Singh Rawat and Inspector Kailash Panwar this morning again removed encroachment.

It is remained to be seen that how long the traders will abide by orders of authority to keep their shops limited to their own space and left the road for commuters.