Traders shut down market in Rudrapur to protest against anti-encroachment drive
The industrial capital of Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region, Rudrapur, wore a deserted look on Sunday as all the city markets were shut in protest against the ongoing anti-encroachment drive by civic body. Traders of the city have announced an indefinite ‘bandh’ against the drive, during which they alleged that several legal constructions were also being bulldozed in a “dictatorial manner”.
All the markets in Rudrapur, including Vidhwani market, Seble Cinema road and Manihari market were shut due to the ‘bandh’.
Alleging that the civic body is conducting the drive in an “unplanned manner” which has hit them adversely, scores of traders also took out a protest march on Sunday evening.
Sanjay Juneja, president of the city traders’ union, alleged that no rules are being followed by the civic body during its anti-encroachment drive.
“We cooperated with the municipal corporation, and most of the traders had removed their encroachments themselves. But, when the civic body officials entered Vidhwani market, Seble Cinema road and Manihari market on Saturday, they shelved all the rules and arbitrarily removed the structures. It has caused huge losses to the traders. Not only the parts of legal structures were razed, but sewer pits also were broken,” Juneja said.
