By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 25 Jul: The process of shifting Dehradun’s historic Arhat Bazaar, which has been a thriving commercial hub for nearly 120 years, is reaching its final phase, with plot or shop allotment for the affected traders expected to begin soon. The wholesale market, considered the city’s largest, is being moved to Brahmanwala on Haridwar Bypass Road, in an area of nearly ten hectares of land. This project is a significant part of an ambitious redevelopment and road-widening initiative in Dehradun. Sources claim that the formalities concerning the relocation of approximately 350 traders are reportedly complete, and it is anticipated that the process of plot allotment at the new site will begin in August, thus paving the way for much-needed urban infrastructure development.
The Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) has identified a total of 430 traders for the relocation exercise, including those conducting business on the stretch between Arhat Bazaar and Tehsil Chowk, which is earmarked for road expansion. Of these, 350 traders consented to one of two options offered by the authorities: a new shop at the alternative site or monetary compensation. The remaining 80 traders have opted exclusively for financial compensation. This exercise has resulted in a total assessed compensation to the tune of Rs 126 crores which will be distributed among those impacted. Following the market’s relocation, the 1.55-kilometre road from Saharanpur Chowk to Tehsil Chowk will be widened to 24 metres, a move expected to significantly ease congestion and improve connectivity in the area.
The new Arhat Bazaar market will consist of 15 shops of 15 square metres, 7 shops of 20 square metres, 33 shops of 25 square metres, and 110 shops of 60 square metres, in addition to 115 shops of 120 square metres and 60 larger shops of 150 square metres apiece. Notably, there will also be a shop of 95 square metres and a sprawling unit covering 3,162 square metres.
According to Vice-Chairman of MDDA, Banshidhar Tiwari, the construction work at the new market site stands completed, and the list for shop allotment, prepared in consultation with Arhat Bazaar traders, has secured their agreement. Accordingly, compensation disbursal is set to begin promptly, while the demarcation of plots for shop allocation is underway. Tiwari has claimed that all the affected traders will be duly rehabilitated before the commencement of the road widening project.
Despite these positive developments, the relocation project has not been without its share of legal complications. Some traders and local associations had approached the judiciary, raising objections related to the ‘inadequacy of compensation’, the transparency of shop allotment procedures, and the preservation of their traditional commercial spaces. The authorities, however, claim that the majority of such matters have now been resolved through negotiation and legal process.
