M S Nawaz
HARIDWAR: After district magistrate Deepak Rawat directed Haridwar Municipal Corporation (MC) authorities to carry out a probe into dumping of garbage at the gate of Stapal Maharaj’s ashram in Prem Nagar on August 10 and take strict action against erring employees, sanitation workers’ union warned the administration of a strike if action was taken against them.
Welcoming the administration move, supporters of Maharaj have, however, demanded suspension of the municipal health officer and erring workers.
Three days back cabinet minister Satpal Maharaj, who is also the minister in charge of the district, held meetings with administrative officials and DM separately for over an hour; which, union leaders believed, was the main reason behind the DM’s issuing the order.
The leaders suspected that “Maharaj discussed the Prem Nagar ashram matter with the DM and ordered him to take action against sanitation workers”.
However, justifying the probe order, the DM said, “Dumping of garbage at the ashram gate or any other place is not acceptable. It was done unlawfully by the civic body after a scuffle between the two parties.”
Rejecting that the dumping of garbage was a “planned act”, Sunil Rajor, sanitation workers’ union leader, said, “It was unintentional; supporters of Maharaj attacked us and also pelted stones at us, in which our workers got injured. Irked by their attack, garbage was dumped outside the gate.”
“If a biased action is taken under political pressure, we will be free to go on a strike,” he warned.
Kuldeep Rawat, Maharaj’s supporter, said, “It is a matter of our prestige, thus the municipal health officer and other erring workers should be suspended. We have also apprised the party of our opinion and hope that it will take strict action against mayor Manoj Garg and his supporters, who abused the minister.”
Police are, in the meantime, carrying out their investigation and have recorded statements of both parties.
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