VISAKHAPATNAM: Officials from the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) removed encroachments at the Night Food Court on Jail Road on Friday as part of the ongoing ‘Operation Lungs.’ The action sparked protests from affected vendors who raised concerns over the removal of their stalls and the potential impact on their livelihoods.
Speaking to TNIE, Srikanth, president of the food court, said, “I run a shawarma stall here, and it was removed. Many other vendors were also affected. We are planning to submit a petition to the GVMC Commissioner. This is our livelihood. The food court attracts a large crowd every day.”
Kishore, who operates a smoked BBQ stall, expressed his frustration, stating he had not opened his stall for three months due to health issues and personal commitments. “I was informed this morning. If not here, I will set up my stall elsewhere. However, many genuine vendors depend solely on these stalls. I urge the GVMC to look into the background of the vendors and consider charging rent or maintenance fees. Some individuals are running multiple stalls, and such issues can be regulated rather than shutting the entire food court.”
GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg clarified in a press release that the encroachments at the food court near Old Jail Road were being removed in accordance with a resolution passed by the GVMC Council.
He explained that around 160 shops along South Jail Road, near Central Park, had been operating illegally by encroaching on the service road. On Friday, during the removal process, 60 shop owners voluntarily vacated their establishments by 8 p.m., and the remaining vendors were also in the process of doing so.
The Commissioner also noted that the GVMC Council had passed a resolution in 2023 for the removal of the food court, with a similar resolution being passed on August 22, 2025. He stated that the shops had been operating without approval from the GVMC, and the municipality was not generating any revenue from these businesses.
Furthermore, the GVMC had received several complaints through the Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS) demanding the removal of the food court.
In response to the appeals from affected vendors, the Commissioner assured that if they applied to the GVMC for alternative arrangements to continue their businesses, their applications would be considered according to the Corporation Act, Street Vending Act, and Council regulations.
The removal of the stalls also faced criticism from South Constituency MLA, CH. Vamsi Krishna Srinivas, who condemned the action, stating that GVMC officials had not informed him beforehand. “It is deeply distressing that shops run by poor families were removed without my knowledge. The Mayor and Commissioner are blaming each other while playing with people’s lives,” the MLA said.
He further noted that night food courts in cities like Hyderabad and Vijayawada provide affordable meals to middle-class citizens, and Visakhapatnam deserves the same. “The food court was functioning well and not causing inconvenience to anyone. These actions are unfair,” he added. He called for reasonable rents, identity cards, and lawful support for vendors, warning that the public would hold the government accountable, not individual officials, for the decision.
The encroachment removal drive is part of GVMC’s ‘Operation Lungs’, an initiative aimed at clearing obstructions that hinder vehicle movement and public convenience. As part of Operation Lungs 2.0, GVMC officials removed 529 encroachments on Friday, bringing the total number of encroachments cleared over two days to 1,053.
GVMC officials explained that the operation was carried out in response to frequent complaints from citizens about road and footpath encroachments, which have contributed to traffic congestion. Chief City Planner A Prabhakar Rao confirmed that the drive had been carried out across all GVMC zones with cooperation from the police. In total, 1,053 encroachments were cleared in two days as part of Operation Lungs 2.0, including road and footpath obstructions. The operation will continue as part of ongoing efforts to improve traffic flow and pedestrian movement.