‘Nothing but harassment’: Traders at Varanasi’s Dalmandi hit with fresh notices amid demolition drive

Shopkeepers and residents, however, have accused the government of allegedly exerting undue pressure through multiple departments. They alleged that officials are using harassment tactics at a time when they are already facing the prospect of losing their properties and livelihoods.

“The government is taking away our shops and homes, and now different departments are pressuring us to clear pending dues. This is nothing but harassment,” alleged one of the affected shopkeepers.

Saurabh Jha, Executive Engineer, Power Department, said: “So far, we have found dues pertaining to 227 electricity connections in properties likely to be impacted by the widening project. The total pending amount is around Rs 5 crore, and we have already pasted notices on about 150 buildings demanding payment of the dues. We have also requested the district administration to ensure that No Objection Certificates (NOCs) are obtained from our department before releasing any compensation to the owners.

He added that notices were being pasted on the remaining buildings on Monday.

Road widening work underway from Dalmandi Market to Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, in Varanasi. (Source: PTI Photo)

An official from the Electricity Department explained the rationale behind issuing the notices: “… once the demolition takes place and people vacate the area, it will become nearly impossible to recover the pending dues. These dues are linked to the buildings, and if the structures no longer exist, there will be no way to collect the outstanding amounts.”

The VDA had recently declared 12 structures unauthorised and directed the occupants to vacate the premises, terming the constructions illegal.

Earlier, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation had issued notices to 184 properties located within the proposed road-widening stretch, citing pending dues of nearly Rs 2 crore in house, water, and sewer taxes. Demand notices had been pasted on several of these buildings.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Mritunjay Mishra had said, “Demand notices have been served to these owners, instructing them to deposit the dues within the stipulated time.”

Located about 300 metres from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the market houses around 500 shops, many of them small businesses run by members of the Muslim community. The plan is to widen the road from its current 3-4 metres to 17.4 metres to improve accessibility and ease traffic flow in the area.

The Public Works Department (PWD) had identified a total of 186 buildings that are expected to be affected by the project — which covers a 650-metre stretch — and issued notices to their owners.

According to a PWD official, compensation has so far been given to three properties after detailed verification of their land documents, and one of these buildings has already been demolished.

Owners of over 30 other buildings along the proposed widening stretch have submitted their property papers. The verification process is still ongoing, after which more compensation payments and demolitions will follow, said the official.