Varanasi: The traders running their shops outside an apartment in Lanka area took to street and blocked the road on Tuesday night in protest against the demolition operation of Varanasi Development Authority (VDA).
They said that they have been running their shops for over a decade. “Why the VDA has been sleeping all these years,” they wondered. The affected shop owners should be given space before starting demotion of the shops, they said.
For the compliance of a High Court order the VDA had vacated 38 shops situated outside the Kamdhenu Apartment on January 2 before starting the demolition drive.
According to the VDA vice chairman Rahul Pandey, the shops were vacated as per the directive of the HC, which had issued order for the demolition of these shops on February 9, 2018. The builder failed to get any relief from the Supreme Court against the HC order.
The residents’ association of the apartment had taken shelter of the HC against the construction of a double-floor lane of shops containing 38 outlets with the boundary. In light of the SC’s order issued on August 6, 2019 and HC’s order issued on February 9, 2018, notices were issued to all shop owners to vacate their outlets by February 1 otherwise they would be responsible for the losses if the VDA undertakes the demolition drive.
