BHUBANESHWAR: A large number of street vendors on Friday staged protests over the ongoing eviction drive to beautify Odisha's state capital Bhubaneswar ahead of the men's Hockey World Cup next month.
The agitation prompted the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to temporarily postpone the exercise, with officials assuring the protesters that the next course of action will be decided following a discussion with the vendors' representative body.
"We have decided to stop the eviction drive for some days. It will be carried out after talks with the vendors' association," BMC North Zone assistant commissioner Suresh Chandra Lenka told reporters.
The agitators, under the banner of All Odisha Roadside Vendors' Association, alleged that BMC conducted massive eviction without any prior notice or arrangement for rehabilitation.
"The livelihoods of hundreds of vendors have been affected due to the eviction drive. Goods worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed as the BMC bulldozed our makeshift shops," association president Pratap Sahu claimed.
Sahu said the affected vendors must be rehabilitated as per law before being evicted.
"The BMC has violated all laws and illegally demolished the shops in Damana and Patia area in the city," he alleged. Earlier in the day, the agitators had gheroed the BMC office, leading to a minor scuffle with security personnel, officials said.
"There was no planning by the BMC for the world cup. It should have given sufficient time for the traders to move to a different place," said Minati Behera, whose small shop near Patia Chak was evicted.
She also claimed that the government was forcing vendors to migrate to other states.
Sahu added that there are around 30,000 road-side vendors, out of whom 15,000 traders' stalls have been demolished by the BMC.
The men's Hockey World Cup will take place from January 13-29.