BBMP evicts street vendors on Church Street

Bengaluru: BBMP officers on Wednesday conducted an eviction drive on Church Street and confiscated goods from hawkers, triggering outrage among the vendors.

More than five vendors, who claimed they had an acknowledgement of registration for hawking, were evicted. The drive was carried out by BBMP marshals, who took away the goods to the BBMP head office.

Chaos swept through Church Street as the hawkers opposed the eviction and demanded that the marshals return their goods. As people started to gather, police personnel from the Cubbon Park police station arrived as backup and asked the hawkers to go to the BBMP and settle the matter with them.

Akram Pasha, a street vendor, said they had licences for hawking, which were cancelled last year. "About six months ago, the government invited applications again for hawking and gave acknowledgements. We have those copies and have set up shops," Pasha told DH.

However, BBMP officers said they have not permitted hawking yet on Church Street.

Pasha alleged that BBMP officers were evicting them without conducting mahazars, as per the law. He lamented that many of their goods were destroyed during the process.