The Hindu : Other States News : Move for partition of housing project opposed

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Move for partition of housing project opposed

Special Correspondent

GHAZIABAD: Standing up against a proposed “partition” of their colony, shopkeepers of Shipra Sun City's five markets in Indirapuram bordering Delhi kept their shutters down on Saturday morning and held a silent protest march, along with the residents, opposing the move.

The residents said that initially the township had been sold as a 250-acre mega project and now attempts were being made by the developer and some vested interests to divide the people by erecting a wall on the main road connecting the two phases of the colony to hide their own shortcomings.

“They want to split the people to lessen the protests against the inadequacies,'' said A.K. Singh, general secretary of the Phase II Residents' Welfare Association. “The biggest issue is that the move to separate the two parts would stop the school buses from coming in and women and children would be greatly inconvenienced. It will become unsafe as they would have to go out of the colony to board the buses,'' he said.

A senior citizen, C. L. Razdan, said division of the colony would make it difficult for the residents to access facilities like banks, post offices and polyclinics which are distributed in both phases. Also, he said, people will have to travel longer distances while going to or returning from work.

The shopkeepers are also apprehending loss of business. Kapil Tyagi, president of the Indirapuram Market Federation, said all five markets in the area remained closed on Saturday in protest against the proposed move.

When contacted, Shipra Sun City Phase I Residents' Welfare Association president Sanjay Singh said, “This colony was a city and I want to make it a society by curbing the entry of people from other societies who use it as a thoroughfare.''

Mr. Singh said it was on the petition of a resident, Sunil Kumar, following theft of 92 motorcycles and 17 cars that the Chief Secretary Awas Vikas in Lucknow had discussed the matter with the Ghaziabad Development Authority. “Then a solution was arrived that a wall be constructed between Plot No. 10 and 11 (the two phases).''

Stating that he likes the proposal, Mr. Singh said the RWAs of both phases can discuss it. “I have also written to the Ghaziabad Police to clamp down on those raising rumours about the issue and ensure that the wall is not constructed till the final orders are obtained,'' he added.

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