BENGALURU: The bustling Sadar Patrappa (SP) Road, famous for the hundreds of shops which sell computer peripherals and electronic goods, witnessed an encroachment clearance drive by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike on Saturday. Scores of mobile phone shops, petty vendors and vehicles parked on the footpath in and around SP Road, Nagarathpete and surrounding areas were cleared during the drive, making the footpaths free for pedestrians.
Heavy police presence prevented any untoward incident during the drive in which four BBMP trucks, one excavator and 5-6 teams of officials along with police participated. “The shopkeepers had encroached upon the footpaths and illegally put up these stalls. This left no space for pedestrians who were forced to walk on the road, creating chaos for traffic. These encroachments also hamper the flow of people to the permanent shops in the area,” said a traffic police officer who was present at the drive on Saturday morning.
According to BBMP officials, the drive was restricted solely to clearing footpaths. “This drive was conducted across Ward 119 (Dharamaraya Swamy temple ward) and we requested for police backup to prevent any violence,” a BBMP official said. However, the drive was criticised by those affected. They claimed that the only notice of the clearance drive came when it started. “We found out only once the drive began and I removed as many items as I could from my shop,” said a shopkeeper who had his place of business removed. Others, however, praised BBMP and said that it was a necessary move. “They were illegally constructed on the footpaths and were disrupting traffic in the area,” said Asif Khan, a shopkeeper.
“The mobile shops are the reason why we face immense losses. We invest lakhs in our business but these petty vendors are spoiling the market scenario,” said Prakash, who owns a computer repairs shop on SP Road. Traders are now hoping that the drive will not be a temporary measure and that the situation will not return to what it was earlier within a few days. “It often remains clear for a week and then we see these shopkeepers return,” Khan added.