Following the stay order issued by High Court on the ongoing construction at Akhada land in Nirmala Chawni area, the builders and the seers of Nirmal Panchayati Akhada are on a collision course. The seers alleged that in spite of the stay order by the court, the Haridwar -Roorkee Development Authority has not stopped the builders from getting on with the construction of the residential flats on the Akhada land. Meanwhile some builders alleged after they visited the site of the stalled construction that some seers from the Akhada were harassing the people residing in the flats. The seers said that the land mafias had sold the lands illegally to the property dealers. The tussle taking a serious turn, police are on their toes.
The police station in-charge Ranvir Singh Chauhan said, “We have appealed to both the parties to maintain peace.”
Kothari Mahant Jasvinder Singh of Nirmal Panchayati Akhada said while talking to The Pioneer on Friday that Nirmala Chhawani area is used during Ardh Kumbh and Mahakumbh. “In 2012, people associated with the Akhada proposed to construct ‘Saint Niwas’. The secretary of the Akhada Balwant Singh was given the responsibility for the same. HRDA was asked to seal the construction site in November last. But they did nothing. They cited absence of police force for their inaction. We were thus forced to file a petition at the High Court,” he added.
The seers alleged that despite HRDA sealing off the site, the builders were still continuing with their illegal construction. This was what prompted them to file an appeal at the court which resulted in the stay order by a single bench of the court on the construction of flats on February 20, they said, adding that the court also questioned some HRDA officers on the matter.
The tiff arose after builders reached the Akhada land when some Akhada seers like Kothari mahant Jasvinder Singh Shastri, Mahant Amandeep Singh and Mahant Darshan Singh were holding there a meeting. The seers demanded that those occupying the flats must vacate them immediately for the seers of the Akhada to reside in.
Mention worthy, Nirmal Akhada owns large properties in Haridwar as well as some places in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. Parts of such lands have been given on rent to hotels and inns. Besides, the Akhada possesses thousands of hectares of agricultural land. As per the estate agents, the properties owned by the Akhada are worth over Rs 100 crores.