By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 4 Nov: Pushkar Singh Dhami Government’s bulldozer campaign continues across the state and, today, an allegedly illegal mazaar constructed on the government land belonging to the Irrigation Department near Pathri Power Station in district Haridwar has been demolished. The action targeted the unauthorised dargah built over nearly two bighas of government land near the Pathri Roh Bridge in the Ranipur Kotwali area. Despite prior notices issued by the Irrigation Department to the shrine management, the encroachment had not been removed within the stipulated period, prompting the administration to act.
According to the officials, before initiating the demolition, a final notice had been served on the persons responsible for the illegal construction. The demolition operation was carried out jointly by the Irrigation Department and the municipal administration. This action was initiated a week after the expiry of the notice period.
In Haridwar district, officials have identified dozens of illegal Mazaars constructed on government land. This is being seen by the government and the administration to be a part of a larger conspiracy. The administration has initiated a systematic drive to remove these encroachments following due notice.
District Magistrate Mayur Dikshit stressed that no human remains were found beneath the structure during the demolition of the illegal construction on government land. So far, the Dhami government in Uttarakhand has demolished over 550 illegal Mazaars as part of its ongoing anti-encroachment campaign.
It may be recalled that, only yesterday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had reiterated during the special session of the state assembly that the drive against illegal Mazaars and Madrasas and any illegal encroachments would continue unabated. His response had come in midst of the objections raised by some Congress MLAs to the ongoing drive. The special session, convened to mark the Silver Jubilee year of Uttarakhand’s formation, witnessed sharp exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches. The Congress accused the government of targeting one community under the pretext of removing encroachments.
During the discussion, Congress MLA Adesh Chauhan from Jaspur alleged that the government was focusing on demolishing Mazaars and accused it of spreading communal sentiment instead of promoting development. He further complained that the bureaucracy often ignored the grievances of people’s representatives.
Responding as Leader of the House, Chief Minister Dhami firmly stated that the government functions strictly according to law and due procedure. He clarified that no encroachment made on government land, whether covered by a green, blue, or yellow sheet, would be tolerated. He also strongly asserted that all such actions were being undertaken within the legal framework and that the ongoing campaign against encroachments would continue with full vigour.
It may also be reminded here that Congress MLA Adesh Chauhan, who had earlier been associated with the BJP before joining the Congress, has been raising such issues of late, in what BJP alleges is part of his and his party’s appeasement politics. Videos of his remarks in the Assembly, along with the CM’s response, have since gone viral on social media since this morning.
