In a new twist to the long-continuing agitation against the administration-proposed shift of the bus station from Haridwar to Sarai village, those living in Sarai village have decided to oppose the relocation move. They have taken the decision to resist the relocation in course of a meeting held on Monday.
It seems that the State Government is now backtracking on the matter as it has assumed emotive contours with the people increasingly coming out in its opposition. That the State Government has taken a u turn was revealed when the state urban development minister Madan Kaushik and the mayor Haridwar Manoj Garg recently ruled out the possibility of taking the bus station far away from the main city.
The villagers met with BSP leader Mukarram Ansari in the chair during which a resolution was passed to the effect that the bus station would not be allowed to be relocated in their village. The villagers alleged that it would damage the atmosphere of the place and the locals are likely to land in trouble without getting benefits out of it.
Ansari said that the State Government must earmark some other plot of land to house the bus stand if it is determined to shift it from its present place.
“Besides, we would stage demonstration against the State Government reducing the village to a dumping ground as the waste materials are being burnt here at the behest of the Nagar Nigam which is polluting the area,” he said.
A local BJP leader Sanjay Chopra, however, said that bus station is not being shifted to Sarai village.
“It is likely to be shifted to Rishikul or Bairagi camp area. Wherever it is shifted it would not be more than 12 km away from the main city,” he said.
Veteran Congress leader Ambrish Kumar said, “The pilgrims and visitors would first face the meat shops when they come to Haridwar since there is no ban on non-vegetarian food in the area.This would leave them with a bad impression. We are therefore for keeping the bus station where it is.”