The MDDA commercial complex near Clock Tower was inaugurated in 2011 but it still presents an incomplete picture with a considerable part of the commercial space in it still vacant.
On Monday evening, State Urban Development Minister Pritam Singh Panwar visited the complex and pulled up officials of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) for the lack of sanitation and maintenance at the complex.
The shopkeepers here state that the minister’s visit did result in some improvement with trash being removed from some places. However, a lot more needs to be done to facilitate the desired use and benefit of this commercial complex on which more than Rs4027 lakh has been spent so far.
The minister has directed MDDA officials to ensure that the problems being faced here are resolved.
This commercial complex comprising of multilevel parking and 226 shops on four floors was inaugurated in 2011 but is still not fully constructed with all the planned lifts yet to be installed.
Apart from the shops occupied mostly by shopkeepers relocated from Chakrata Road, most of the shops are not occupied with vacant spaces on the top two floors being used for various objectionable activities with empty liquor bottles and used contraceptives lying dumped in various corners.
Tailor Amir Alam said that there was some cleaning work undertaken after the minister’s visit but much more needs to be done.
Chemist shop owner Dr PK Garg said that the shopkeepers are not satisfied with the level of sanitation and state of the complex. “We have made repeated complaints to the authorities regarding the dire condition of the complex without eliciting the desired action. The minister responded promptly to our complaint and visited the complex yesterday but this complex needs a lot of improvement. There is not lighting here at night and the high mast lights installed don’t work,” he said.
Another shop owner Satnam Singh said that information received from MDDA in response to an RTI application last year had revealed that the MDDA was paying Rs58,000 per month Sulabh International for maintaining sanitation in the complex. More than Rs4000 lakh had been spent on construction of the complex.
Talking to The Pioneer, the Urban Development minister said that he had directed the MDDA officials to take necessary measures to resolve the problems being faced in the complex.
“I have sought a report from the officials in a week and will review the work done here,” said Panwar.
More than two years after this complex was inaugurated, it remains only partly utilised and suffers from the effects of protracted official neglect and inefficiency of the MDDA.
It remains to be seen whether the minister’s directions result in any of the required improvement in the condition of the commercial complex.