BBMP razes a slice of Basavanagudi market life
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike on Tuesday carried out an anti-encroachment drive in Gandhi Bazaar to evict vendors and street hawkers who ply their trade on both sides of the road selling flowers, vegetables, fruits and other items.
While Gandhi Bazaar is perceived to be a traditional shopping area, BBMP, in a sudden move decided to clear them to ease traffic congestion. Hundreds of makeshift shops that were existing for the last many decades were razed to the ground in a well-planned operation.
Around midnight, BBMP personnel stormed the place with earthmoving machines and cleared the encroachment in the presence of a strong posse of around 150 policemen.
It was a rude shock for the people who visited the market in the morning to purchase groceries and other daily necessities.
Exemption sought
“We never thought that such a thing would ever happen here. At least, this traditional market should have been spared,” said Ravikiran, a customer.
The vendors staged a sit-in on the Gandhi Bazaar Main Road against the eviction.
“This atrocity was perpetrated against us when we were all asleep and there was none around here. We are rendered jobless in one go due to BBMP’s mindless act,” said a vendor.
After the eviction drive, BBMP officers claimed that they cleared the encroached space, at least 500-metre long, in the area.
To justify the action, the officers said there were complaints about severe traffic congestion in the area due to the narrowed roads and that the action was necessary. Due to the encroachment, traffic used to be stalled for hours, causing severe hardships for vehicle riders and pedestrians, the Palike said.
In a statement, the Palike said it had consulted senior traffic police officials before taking up the clearance drive.
