Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Jul 31: The name board of Ashraf Kalayi memorial public bus shelter built at Kalayi in the taluk was cleared under the instructions of tahsildar, Purandar Hegde, on Sunday July 30. The brothers of slain Ashraf Kalyi, who had built this bus stand, had not obtained permission from the authorities for constructing the bus stand, it is gathered.

Brothers of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) leader, Ashraf Kalayi, who had been murdered by miscreants on June 21, had built a bus stand at Kalayi in memory of their late brother. Within minutes since the bus shelter was inaugurated at the inaugural function on Sunday morning, tahsildar of the taluk, Purandar Hegde, arrived there along with police personnel and other officials. He asked the concerned to clear the bus shelter as it did not have permission from local administration.

Brothers of Ashraf and local leaders pleaded with the tahsildar saying that the shelter was built in a hurry to commemorate 40th day since Ashraf's death. They promised to get permission of the gram panchayat on Monday, duly clarifying that the panchayat officials have been orally informed about it.

The tahsildar did not accept this argument. He said that someone had complained to the district deputy commissioner about building the bus shelter without prior permission and that the deputy commissioner had asked him to follow procedures. He wanted the bus shelter to be vacated immediately and suggested the concerned to build it again after getting permission.

Leaders of different parties and religions who came there, opposed demolition of the bus shelter. They wanted the shelter to be allowed to continue in commemoration of social service rendered by Ashraf. They pointed out that no one owing allegiance to different parties and religions from the village was opposed to the bus shelter. They stuck to their demand not to clear the shelter and assured to obtain necessary permission on Monday.

Assistant superintendent of police of this subdivision, Dr Arun K, rural sub-inspector,Umesh etc who came there suggested to bring down the name board of the bus shelter and fix it again after obtaining permission. Some leaders present there tried to contact ministers and legislators to bring pressure on officials to relent. As these tactics did not bear fruits, finally, the name board was removed.

Janardan, a local leader, said that this place is in need of a bus shelter. He insisted that the bus shelter should be named after Ashraf because of services rendered by him to the people and that the shelter does not create problem for anyone.

SDPI local assembly constituency committee president, Shahul Hameed, pointed out that many memorial bus shelters built on national highway and inner roads in the region are not backed by prior permissions. He noted that the officials who came here to clear the shelter did not have information about who complained and opposed to the bus shelter, and what was the complaint. They even did not have copy of the complaint. He smelt political gimmick behind this act, adding that no one from the village had opposed the bus shelter.

Former gram panchayat president Chandrashekhar Bhandary expressed resentment at the effort to clear the bus shelter built in memory of Kalayi. He said that there was nothing provocative about the shelter and expressed his determination to retain the bus shelter in it current spot.

Tahsildar Purandara Hegde informed that he had come there as per the instructions of the deputy commissioner, as building of bus shelter without permission was illegal. He said that there is no problem if the shelter is built with necessary permission.