Traders thwart demolition attempts by Housing officials in UP

A large number of traders today gathered at a market here and prevented a team of Housing and Development officials from demolishing their illegally constructed shops.
The team had reached Central market at Shastri Nagar today after a decision by High Court to raze the 22 illegally constructed shops there by December 31.
However, the traders gathered at the spot and thwarted the team's attempts to demolish their shops, state president of Uttar Pradesh BJP Trade Cell, Vinit Agrawal Sharda, said.
"Out of the 22 shops, two had approached the Supreme Court which had stayed the HC order but the others could not do so as the apex court is closed till January 5," he said, adding, other traders too should be given a time-frame to contest the order.

Sharda also said that if the constructions were done illegally, the housing and development officials under whose tenure they were built should be suspended and sent to jail first.
In the wake of a tussle between the officials and the traders, a large number of police personnel were also deployed in the area, following which a meeting of the Housing and Development officials, police, and the traders' representatives was conducted here.