Occupants of unauthorised constructions in Kathbangla settlement demolished by the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun, on Thursday staged a demonstration against the MCD at the District Collectorate here on Friday. They alleged that their homes were demolished when the occupants had gone to work without any advance notice being received. They questioned as to the reason for demolishing their homes at a time when the winter chill is making life harder without proper shelter.

The protesters alleged that most of them had gone to work, locking their homes when at about 11 AM on Thursday, the MCD team arrived and began demolishing the locked homes with a JCB. About a dozen cemented homes and about an equal number of shanties were demolished, they averred. The occupants complained that they would not have lost goods and possessions worth thousands of rupees had the MCD informed them about the demolition in advance. They pointed out that the MCD officials had told them the land where they had built homes was marked for construction of flats.

However, the occupants claimed that they had not encroached on the land marked for the flats and had built their homes away from this land. They have been rendered homeless now whereas they used to have access to water supply and electricity supply in their homes demolished by the MCD. Stating that they had been living here for many years, the occupants complained that the corporation had not informed them about the status of their homes and the demolition.

 They sought to know who would compensate them for the loss they had sustained in the demolition. Demanding compensation, they said that they would initiate protest against the MCD if this was not paid to them soon. Accusing municipal officials of working in tandem with members of the land mafia, they demanded action against corrupt officials in the MCD. The district administration has assured them that their issues will be looked into.