Varanasi: Lives of 35 families of Varanasi were turned colourless after their shops in Godauli Chittaranjan area at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh were razed to the ground by bulldozers just before the festival of Holi. The shops- allotted by the government to the then refugees who had come from Pakistan to India in 1950- were crushed to ground for beautifying the city ahead of the G-20 conference.
The shop owners said they had come as refugees and have again been turned homeless. "Why were the shops allotted if these were to be razed?" questioned a shop owner. He said that if the space had to be cleared for the G-20 meetings then the matter could have been solved by discussing with them.
Additional municipal commissioner Sumit Kumar said that shop owners failed to produce any documents and it was obvious that they illegally occupying the space. Kumar assured that all the shop owners would get relief of they produce legal and valid documents. "We demolished the shops as per orders we received. Presently, these shops have been allotted at the plaza built in Dashashwamedh area of Varanasi," Kumar said.
Varanasi Development Authority secretary Sunil Verma said that those who have been evicted have been allotted space in the plaza. He said that the allotment process has been started and will be done on a first-come-first-serve basis. Traders will be provided permanent shops if they bought the spaces, Verma said. Traders, however, complained that buying new shops was beyond their financial capacity.
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Total six meetings of the G-20 conference are set to be held in Varanasi in April, May and June. Ahead of which, preparations are in full swing to showcase the city's grandeur. In view of these preparations, the Gumti market situated just above the Dashashwamedh Ghat was demolished prior to Holi. The shops were completely razed to the ground leaving 35 families in a dire livelihood crisis.
It may be mentioned here that the Gumti market was set up in 1950. The government had allotted these shops to the Sindhi families who came to Varanasi from Pakistan. The shop owners said that they were provided documents and certificates in connection with their shops. Earlier, similar orders were issued to demolish the shops but the traders had appealed before the court and and the court had issued a stay order, he said. "This time as well, after receiving eviction notice, all legal documents were attached in response. But, the municipal corporation ignored everything and went ahead with the demolition," said a shop owner.
