The construction work of the new Collectorate building in the Jail Garden in district headquarter Pauri was stopped by the Municipal Board chairman Yashpal Benam and his associates two days ago.
They chided the contractor and Public Works Department official and told them to leave the spot.
On the instruction of district magistrate Chandresh Kumar, sub divisional magistrate Pl Shah reached the spot with police force till all left the jail garden. This incident has created a confrontation between Benam and the District administration. The locals annoyed with Benam met the DM and requested him to take action against those obstructing the construction of new collectorate building.
They are miffed at Benam for making this an ego issue. The Governor Dr Aziz Qureshi has also sanctioned the construction in the Jail Garden.
Fifty citizens including former District Bar Association president Vinodanand Barthwal, Bussinessmens’ Assocciation president Virendra
Singh Rawat, social worker Padmendra Singh Negi, former Block Pramukh and Congress leader Jagdish Bisht met the DM and demanded legal action against those preventing the construction of new collectrate building.
The DM assured that new collectrate building will be constructed in Jail garden and this process has started with its demarcation.
The plan of building, tender and bond formalities have already been completed.
He said that legal action will be taken against anyone obstructing the construction, irrespective of the post of the person, said Kumar while adding that he had not received any complaint from the executing agency so far about the obstruction.
The PWD construction division executive engineer has sent a letter to the DM stating that Benam and other had asked for the construction to be stopped. The SDM said that a case will be registered if
anyone tries to hinder the
construction again.
It is pertinent to mention that in September 2012, the DM had held a meeting
seeking suggestions from
citizens and public representatives with the majority
favouring construction of
the new collectoratebuilding
on the Jail Garden land.
They had rejected Benam’s suggestion that new Collectorate should be built after demolishing the
old building.