BENGALURU: Following recent criticism from Karnataka High Court for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) laxity to comply with fire safety measures at KR Market, the officials have partially cleared encroachments in the city’s busiest and largest wholesale market.The order comes at a time when the Lok Sabha elections and Ugadi festivities are just around the corner. This has left vendors fuming. KR Market comes under Chamrajpet Assembly constituency, where both JD(S) and Congress parties have a prominent hold.
For 42-year-old Menaka, who has been selling vegetables in the market, the eviction has come as a big jolt. Talking to The New Indian Express she said, “I feed my family from what I earn here, and if they take away my space I have nowhere to go. Where is the people’s representative we voted for? Why should I vote for him again?” Her concern was echoed by many other vendors who lost their space to encroachment.
Ramaiah, a 57-year-old fruit vendor, said, “No party comes to our help when we need them. What is the use of voting? I would rather not vote at all.” BBMP has not only evicted encroached vendors but also illegal extension of shops. Altaf Hassan, a tools vendor who has been in the business for the last 10 years in KR Market, said, “I have not faced anything like this before.
We pay rent and additional money including bribes but still we face harassment by officials.” When asked about the elections he said, “I won’t vote for the party or the people who do not help us. JD(S) and Congress had a chance in this area, but a majority of vendors think otherwise.”With the festival season around the corner, vendors struggle to keep up with demand. Seethamma, a vendor, said, “Ugadi is in April and other festivals are going to start. We have no place to do our business.”
More than 350 encroachments were hit in the drive, which is set to go on for a couple of days. At least 48 tractors, 15 trucks, 8 JCBs and 430 personnel, including cops and marshals, took part in the drive.