New shelter for street vendors?

BANGALORE: Regular vistors of Gandhi Bazar market need not have to worry as Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is now making way to relocate the street vendors  to a new building i
BLEAK FUTURE: Street vendors in hope of solutions, wait on Gandhi Bazaar main road after the demolition of shops in Bangalore on Wednesday | Nagaraja
BLEAK FUTURE: Street vendors in hope of solutions, wait on Gandhi Bazaar main road after the demolition of shops in Bangalore on Wednesday | Nagaraja

BANGALORE: Regular vistors of Gandhi Bazar market need not have to worry as Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is now making way to relocate the street vendors  to a new building in Gandhi Bazaar.

On Monday midnight, BBMP authorities demolished the bustling market, which had encroached the entire footpath on Gandhi Bazaar main road. Palike authorities along with 100 policemen, three JCBs and 10 lorries had cleared the road side shops.

Officials remarked that the illegal encroachments had been causing problems to pedestrians, leading to many traffic jams, especially during festivals. A BBMP official said the vendors were informed to vacate the premises a month ago, and however, they need not give prior notice to evict road side encroachments. Vendors on the other hand, were upset  that they were not alerted.

 COMMISSIONER SAYS

Commissioner M K Shankarlinge Gowda said that the Palike was not shifting the vendors outside Gandhi Bazar. There is a BBMP market on the main road, but the space was not being used. “We are telling them to move to the market space. It is just reallocation,” he said. He also said with the footpath encroachment, some of them had taken more space.  Further, Gowda said that after Tagore circle underpass was open to public, vehicular movement would speeden up.  “This will also affect the Gandhi Bazar main road traffic. If these vendors are alloted space inside the market premises, footpath area can be used by pedestrians, easing traffic on the main road,” he said.

VENDORS’ TAKE

Lakshmi, a vegetable vendor said that she was selling vegetables in Gandhi Bazar for the past 25 years. She said that her every day income was `4,000. “We are staging a protest and will not leave the space until a proper solution is given to us,” she said. Thimmappa, a flower merchant said they were requesting the state government to allot new space. “Even today they have not met our demands,” he said. Rajesh, a fruit vendor said that he has lost at least `1.5 lakh worth fruits. “Who will repay my loss,” he demanded.

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