Resenting harassment in the name of anti encroachment drive, businessmen in Dehradun have threatened to go on an indefinite strike if the authorities did not bring a change in their attitude.
President of Doon Valley Mahanagar Udyog Vyapar Mandal (DVMUVM) Pankaj Masson today allegedly accused municipal authorities of harassing local businessmen in various marketplaces of Dehradun city in the name of encroachment removal.
He pointed out that there have been incidents when some businessmen have clashed with authorities during the anti-encroachment drive of the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD).
He asserted that the local businessmen understand and support the administration in the removal of encroachments from marketplaces but they will not tolerate the harassment by the authorities in the name of such exercise. He said that recently a team of MCD alongwith police reached Paltan Bazaar to remove temporary encroachments but they also started to confiscate the products from the shops which were kept there for display. “We understand if the authorities seize the products of those who allow other vendors to sell different products in front of their shops and get money from them. However, seizing the products of the shopkeepers who have displayed some of their products just outside their shops is not right,” said Masson. Masson said that the authorities treated shopkeepers like thieves and seized the products which were displayed only a few inches away from their shops. “Though the authorities returned the seized products later, we have decided that the whole market will be closed and the local businessmen will go on an indefinite strike if the administration will treat us this way again,” said Masson.
Meanwhile, municipal tax superintendent referring to the issue held that any type of encroachment whether it is a small or large scale encroachment is an encroachment as per the rules and the corporation will continue to work for the removal of the encroachment in the city
Friday, 01 January 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
