Dehradun: A deep unease is settling over Dehradun’s business community. Industry voices say doing business in the city is becoming increasingly difficult amid rising road rage, weak enforcement, and governance gaps.
The city’s image as a peaceful, investor-friendly hub is under strain.
At a roundtable led by city’s civil society group leaders, Anoop Nautiyal and Anand Kanti, participants raised serious concerns over a growing disconnect between businesses and authorities.
Among those who voiced these issues were Anupama Joshi, Ella Garg, Kunal Shamsher Malla, Randhir Arora, Navneet Oberoi, Rasik Bhatia, Avinash Tiwari, Madhav Dalvi and Hemant Koorich.
They said enforcement is inconsistent. Complaints go unheard. Trust is eroding fast.
Policy ambiguity is worsening the crisis. Businesses in hospitality and healthcare said unclear and shifting rules are creating confusion and exposing them to arbitrary action.
Even compliant operators feel vulnerable in the absence of uniform guidelines.
On the ground, the situation is turning volatile. Road rage incidents are rising. Traffic discipline is weakening.
Public behaviour is becoming aggressive. Business owners say this is directly affecting customer movement, staff safety, and the overall business environment.
The concern goes beyond commerce. Participants pointed to growing substance abuse and behavioural issues among youth, noting that the mushrooming of private institutions bringing students from across India is adding pressure on the city’s social fabric.
They stressed that such institutions must ensure discipline and safety, while policing needs to be more friendly and compassionate to build trust on the ground.
Amid these challenges, the business community called for clear governance, stronger enforcement, and real-time coordination with police to restore order.
They also urged transparent licensing systems with local accountability, arguing that responsibility must be rooted within the community.
Unregulated growth is adding pressure. Tourism and nightlife are expanding rapidly without matching infrastructure or oversight, raising fears of long-term damage.
Participants warned that unchecked growth could deepen the crisis instead of driving development.
Drawing lessons from Chandigarh, they said strong enforcement and responsible civic behaviour can ensure both growth and discipline. The need of the hour, they stressed, is balance.
The focus now shifts to Pushkar Singh Dhami. Business leaders have urged him to take decisive, confidence-building measures and bring all sections on board to restore safety, trust, and stability.
If the drift continues, Dehradun risks losing both business confidence and its peace.
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