Religion doesn146;t cross progress146; path in Junagadh

Demolition of deris, dargahs or graveyards in Gujarat is considered next to impossible even if these are encroachments. But in Junagadh, the last city in the state to get municipal status, that8217;s just what the District Collector prescribed for development.

For the expansion of railway station road, three deris built on corporation land were removed. A graveyard near Mithiwav, also an encroachment, was removed to make way for a wider road to the ST bus stand. And, development of Tadav Darwaja site at Narsinh Tadav needed removal of a dargah located on the corporation site.

Yet there were no protests over the issue. So what8217;s the success formula of Rohit Pathak, Junagadh8217;s District Collector cum Municipal Commissioner? 8216;8216;My key to success is applying a common yardstick!8217;8217; Pathak says removal of religious places was not a cakewalk. 8216;8216;We had to show town planning schemes and maps to make people realise that the deris and dargah were constructed illegally on corporation land,8217;8217; he says.