A CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH: A tense standoff gripped Dibrugarh’s Loharpatty area on Thursday day as family members and local residents launched a fast unto death, protesting the slow demolition of an illegal, four-storey building near which 52-year-old Salma Begum died in November.
Begum was fatally struck by falling construction materials on November 19 while washing utensils in her courtyard, an incident that prompted action against the unauthorized structure.
The Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC) initiated the demolition of the structurally perilous RCC building, erected by Mohd Yunus Khan in violation of the Assam Unified Building Construction (Regulation) Bye Laws 2022, on Wednesday. However, by Thursday, only about 20 percent of the work had been completed. This lackadaisical pace, coupled with only two workers visible at the site, inflamed the community, prompting the immediate protest action.
DMC Commissioner Jay Vikas issued the final demolition order, following a series of notices issued to the builder. The first notice was sent on November 20 to stop construction and demand documentation, but the subsequent response from Khan was found to be ‘not satisfactory.’
The protesters specifically criticized the absence of senior political and administrative figures. The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, DMC Commissioner, and local MLA and Power Minister Prasanta Phukan had reportedly not visited the site despite the tense situation. Police and CRPF continue to guard the site. A local resident said, “They are showing a complete lack of concern. Only two workers have been here for hours, and none of the senior officials—not the Mayor, nor the MLA—have bothered to show up. This is why we are fasting. We want justice for Salma Begum and demand the immediate arrest of the building owner, Yunus Khan. It is outrageous that he secured bail despite the FIR filed by the family.”
“We want justice. If the building was illegal, the administration should have demolished the whole building. But the DMC has engaged some workers who are slow and are taking much time to complete the task. My mother died due to this illegal building and still the district administration is not taking its demolition as a priority,” said the son of deceased Salma Begum.
Also Read: SC to Hear Contempt Plea Against Assam Govt Over Goalpara Demolitions