AMC razes 50-yr-old shops in Paldi to make way for road
http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20110723201107230159152165d1f88c7/AMC-razes-50yrold-shops-in-Paldi-to-make-way-for-road.html
‘Casualties’ include the popular Udipi Cafe set up in 1965 and a dispensary run by son of a freedom fighter; shopowners allege they weren’t informed of demolition drive in advance
Hemington.James
Paldi crossroads witnessed an irony of sorts on Friday afternoon. Those very landmarks that witnessed and contributed to the city’s development were being demolished for, well, development itself. On Friday afternoon, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation brought down several shops in Paldi – most of them 50 years old – to widen the road as per the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation (BPMC) Act.
A part of the salon, set up 60 years ago, was demolished; AMC bulldozers also brought down the popular Udipi Cafe, established in 1965
Perturbed shopkeepers stood as inert spectators when the bulldozers razed a portion of their stores to make way for the road.
The ‘casualties’ included the popular Udipi Cafe, a favourite hangout of Amdavadis who relish South Indian food, and a dispensary run by the son of a freedom fighter. In all 14 shops, most of them more than 50 years old, were partially demolished during the drive. It would now be difficult for the shopkeepers to continue their businesses in a constricted space.
Earlier, too, the road was expanded under the town-planning scheme.
Devdutt Shetty, owner of Udipi Cafe, told Mirror, “When we lost the case in high court in February, AMC asked us to vacate the place. But they never gave us a deadline. We thought they would inform us well in advance. However, they turned up four days ago and said they’ll begin demolition on Friday. We pleaded for more time, but they didn’t care to listen.”
Electricity connections were also severed during the drive. “We’ll now have to pay Torrent Power to get the connection re-installed,” said a distraught Shetty. Dilip Gunjal, a traditional bone setter, who has been running his clinic here for the past 52 years, said: “I don’t understand AMC’s need to expand the road which had been already expanded before. The authorities did not even serve us a notice. It is my father who set up the clinic and later handed it over to me. My father told me that the shop was set up even before AMC started collecting taxes.”
Prahlad Parekh, who runs a hair cutting salon here, said, “My father set up the shop 60 years ago. Later on I took over and now my sons run it. It’s really unfortunate that AMC did not even bother to tell us about the demolition drive in advance. Three days ago they said they’ll begin the drive on Friday.”
‘I lost a piece of heritage’
For Dr Ashok Shah, it was a “priceless piece of heritage” that he lost in the demolition drive. His father, a freedom fighter, had set up the dispensary near Udipi Cafe. AMC workers bulldozed nearly 7-feet of the clinic.
“My father, a former freedom fighter and a licenced medical practitioner, set up the clinic on August 15, 1950. I have a lot of memories of my father who put his blood, sweat and toil to run the dispensary. I feel as if they’ve amputated a part of my body,” he said.
He added, “My father was arrested from Godhra in 1942 for distributing literature against the British government. He was lodged in Sabarmati prison for 10 months. In 1981, he started receiving Rs 500 under freedom-fighters’ pension scheme. He did so much for this country, but does anyone care?”
Tears welled up in his eyes as he said, “I am the sole breadwinner of my family. I don’t know how I will feed everyone. Even my elder brother’s family is dependent on me.”
We acted as per law
When contacted, Rajesh Patel, deputy estate and town development officer, West Zone, said, “The drive was carried out as per the order of high court. The shopkeepers were served notices in 2007 against which they filed a case with city civil court. The court ruled in AMC’s favour. Later they filed a plea in the high court. They lost the case there, too. HC asked the occupants to clear the place by March 4, but they did not bother to listen. The demolition had to be carried out some day.”
He added, “Each occupant was informed about the drive. It’s true that the road was earlier expanded under the Town Planning Act. However, as per today’s requirement, the road needs to be widened further. Hence, we are carrying out road-widening as per the provisions of section 212 of the BPMC Act.”
OWNER TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION
“The owners will be adequately compensated when they produce the saat-baar document. Yes, we had to sever the electricity lines. But we had already informed Torrent Power about the same. The shopowners can get the connection reinstalled after paying for it,” Patel said.
‘Casualties’ include the popular Udipi Cafe set up in 1965 and a dispensary run by son of a freedom fighter; shopowners allege they weren’t informed of demolition drive in advance
Hemington.James
Paldi crossroads witnessed an irony of sorts on Friday afternoon. Those very landmarks that witnessed and contributed to the city’s development were being demolished for, well, development itself. On Friday afternoon, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation brought down several shops in Paldi – most of them 50 years old – to widen the road as per the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation (BPMC) Act.
A part of the salon, set up 60 years ago, was demolished; AMC bulldozers also brought down the popular Udipi Cafe, established in 1965
Perturbed shopkeepers stood as inert spectators when the bulldozers razed a portion of their stores to make way for the road.
The ‘casualties’ included the popular Udipi Cafe, a favourite hangout of Amdavadis who relish South Indian food, and a dispensary run by the son of a freedom fighter. In all 14 shops, most of them more than 50 years old, were partially demolished during the drive. It would now be difficult for the shopkeepers to continue their businesses in a constricted space.
Earlier, too, the road was expanded under the town-planning scheme.
Devdutt Shetty, owner of Udipi Cafe, told Mirror, “When we lost the case in high court in February, AMC asked us to vacate the place. But they never gave us a deadline. We thought they would inform us well in advance. However, they turned up four days ago and said they’ll begin demolition on Friday. We pleaded for more time, but they didn’t care to listen.”
Electricity connections were also severed during the drive. “We’ll now have to pay Torrent Power to get the connection re-installed,” said a distraught Shetty. Dilip Gunjal, a traditional bone setter, who has been running his clinic here for the past 52 years, said: “I don’t understand AMC’s need to expand the road which had been already expanded before. The authorities did not even serve us a notice. It is my father who set up the clinic and later handed it over to me. My father told me that the shop was set up even before AMC started collecting taxes.”
Prahlad Parekh, who runs a hair cutting salon here, said, “My father set up the shop 60 years ago. Later on I took over and now my sons run it. It’s really unfortunate that AMC did not even bother to tell us about the demolition drive in advance. Three days ago they said they’ll begin the drive on Friday.”
‘I lost a piece of heritage’
For Dr Ashok Shah, it was a “priceless piece of heritage” that he lost in the demolition drive. His father, a freedom fighter, had set up the dispensary near Udipi Cafe. AMC workers bulldozed nearly 7-feet of the clinic.
“My father, a former freedom fighter and a licenced medical practitioner, set up the clinic on August 15, 1950. I have a lot of memories of my father who put his blood, sweat and toil to run the dispensary. I feel as if they’ve amputated a part of my body,” he said.
He added, “My father was arrested from Godhra in 1942 for distributing literature against the British government. He was lodged in Sabarmati prison for 10 months. In 1981, he started receiving Rs 500 under freedom-fighters’ pension scheme. He did so much for this country, but does anyone care?”
Tears welled up in his eyes as he said, “I am the sole breadwinner of my family. I don’t know how I will feed everyone. Even my elder brother’s family is dependent on me.”
We acted as per law
When contacted, Rajesh Patel, deputy estate and town development officer, West Zone, said, “The drive was carried out as per the order of high court. The shopkeepers were served notices in 2007 against which they filed a case with city civil court. The court ruled in AMC’s favour. Later they filed a plea in the high court. They lost the case there, too. HC asked the occupants to clear the place by March 4, but they did not bother to listen. The demolition had to be carried out some day.”
He added, “Each occupant was informed about the drive. It’s true that the road was earlier expanded under the Town Planning Act. However, as per today’s requirement, the road needs to be widened further. Hence, we are carrying out road-widening as per the provisions of section 212 of the BPMC Act.”
OWNER TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION
“The owners will be adequately compensated when they produce the saat-baar document. Yes, we had to sever the electricity lines. But we had already informed Torrent Power about the same. The shopowners can get the connection reinstalled after paying for it,” Patel said.
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