The furor over the closing of gates to Jaipuria Plaza has been spreading in the sector since the beginning of the year. The two entry gates from within the sector were barred and chained when ACP Verma visited the sector last month. The wicket gate at Gate 1 was opened for 12 hours, and a guard was seen patrolling the road too.
There was a lot of consternation amongst the shopkeepers at Jaipuria Plaza over the closing of the gates, as it impacted the footfall in the market and hence the sales. Apparently, the shopkeepers had even approached MLA Pankaj Singh, who resides in the sector but did not get the desired response. According to the shopkeepers, they had approached the RWCS to open the gate, who told them that the gates were locked by Noida Police. The shopkeepers then approached Noida Police, who said that this move was done at the request of RWCS and by RWCS. This volte-face by the Noida Police has left RWCS shocked.
In the third week of January, the side gate of Jaipuria Plaza (that faces the double-storey flats) was broken down! The gate was not just yanked open but pulled down. In a matter of no time, residents were using the open gate to enter Jaipuria Plaza, and an eatery started supplying food to its patrons, who conveniently sat in their cars outside the gate. This naturally caused inconvenience to the nearby residents, who complained on WhatsApp groups. While it is unknown who broke down the gate but the word on the street is that a shopkeeper did it drunkenly in the middle of the night and went around boasting about it the next day! One can only imagine what tools the shopkeeper used to completely dismantle the gate from the gate!
It was then just a matter of time before the main entry gate (that is opposite D-167) would be broken, and sure enough, one day it was found that the chains that held the two gates were smashed. If a shopkeeper is to be believed, all it took to break the lock and chains was a hard kick!
Some residents have requested that the entry to Jaipuria Plaza continue to be from the main road (that faces DPS School) or from the wicket gate at Gate 1. There is also a request that the two entry gates from within the sector be replaced with concrete walls and barbed wire placed on the boundary wall of Jaipuria Plaza. Whether these suggestions will be implemented by Noida Authority remains to be seen, but it is amply clear that Jaipur Plaza is both a boon and a bane. The rush is back at Jaipuria Plaza, and with it has returned the vehicles of visitors, car alarms, incessant honking, loitering and littering.
