Dibrugarh hunger strike ends, officials assure swift demolition of illegal building

Dibrugarh, Dec 6: The fast-unto-death protest launched on Thursday to protest against the delay in demolishing an illegal building that led to the death of one Salma Begum at Loharpatty here was called off late on Thursday night. The decision followed assurances from officials of the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation and the district administration that the demolition of the unauthorised G+4 structure will be expedited.

Local residents, expressing solidarity with the grieving family, had joined the hunger strike due to what they termed as the municipality’s “lethargic approach” to the incident. Their primary demand was swift justice for Salma Begum, who lost her life when construction materials from the illegal under-construction four-storey RCC building collapsed onto her residence.

Public outrage over the incident had earlier prompted a formal investigation, which found the structure owned by one Yunus Khan to be unsafe and in clear violation of the Assam Unified Building Construction (Regulation) Bye-Laws, 2022. Based on these findings, the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation ordered its demolition. However, progress of the demolition remained slow, with local residents reporting that barely 20 per cent of the structure had been dismantled since work began on Wednesday. They also alleged that only two to three labourers had been deployed and that no senior officials were overseeing the process, leading to accusations of official apathy.

The stalemate eased at around 8 pm on Thursday when the protestors agreed to withdraw the fast after the authorities assured them that contractors will be immediately engaged to execute the demolition “scientifically” and without further delay. Local residents said that they will continue to monitor the progress of the demolition work and will resume their agitation if the administration fails to keep its promise.

By

Staff Correspondent