Makeshift 'illegal' shops demolished by Noida authority
Noida authority officials on Monday demolished around thirty makeshift shops near Sector 78 after residents demanded for removal of 'illegal encroachments'. This comes after over 300 protestors, mostly domestic helps, gathered outside a housing complex last week, alleging that one of its residents had assaulted a domestic help. Noida authority has however claimed that it was a routine demolition.
Last Wednesday at 7am, 45-year-old Ramesh Kumar was setting up his makeshift tea shop in Sector 76 for his early morning customers, he said. He claims he had no knowledge of the mob violence at Mahagun Moderne Society that was going on a few hundred metres from his shop at that time.Ramesh is one of the 30-odd kiosk owners whose makeshift shops were demolished by the Noida authority on Monday as the temporary structures had come up on government land.He said he had spent Rs20,000 to acquire the shop and the goods he needed. Like Ramesh, there are other 30 other shopkeepers who have lost their livelihood the demolition drive six days after the violence at Mahagun Moderne society violence.Rumours of a domestic help being beaten up and held captive had enraged a mob which allegedly attacked the housing society and vandalised property there.The Noida authority has officially claimed that the demolition was not due to the recent violence, but the demands for action against ?illegal? workers in Noida have increased ever since.However, Ramesh fails to understand what he has to do with it all. ?I had nothing to do with the crowd that attacked Mahagun society. I am a resident of Barola village and was busy setting up my tea shop when the violence took place in the society. I have three children to look after and the officers have demolished my shop and destroyed my livelihood,? he said.Ramesh?s friend Pappu (36), who like Ramesh says he belongs to Hardoi district in UP, too sold vegetables in the area from a kiosk that was demolished on Monday.?My wife is dead and I am supposed to feed my three children. I have been selling vegetables (here) for the past four months. Now, I am thinking of selling vegetables from a cart,? he said.Another vegetable seller, 22-year-old Sanjay Yadav, has been in business in the area for only two years, but is one of the oldest shopkeepers in the area.?I am the sole bread winner of my family and the demolition has destroyed my stock of vegetables. How will I earn from tomorrow? I have to support my whole family,? he said.Authority officials claimed the drive was carried out as the shops were set up illegally.?The encroachers were already served notice by the Noida authority to remove their makeshift settlements. When they failed to vacate the land, the authority razed their structures. The action was not taken because of the Mahagun Moderne violence,? said Awneesh Kumar, circle officer, city-3, who was a part of the police team accompanying the authority?s demolition wing officials.While there have been calls against ?illegal Bangladeshis? in the area following the Mahagun violence, Kumar said the encroachers in the area were from different parts of India.