MC removes encroachments; vendors protest at Nai Basti

Tribune News Service

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Bathinda, January 4

A team of the MC’s tehbazari wing removed encroachments in various areas, including Aggarwal Colony, Rambagh and Nai Basti, here on Saturday. Officials also seized flex boards put up outside shops, which had encroached upon on roads.

Irked over MC action, street vendors staged a protest against the anti-encroachment drive at Nai Basti. They also raised slogans against the state government and the civic body. During the protest, commuters faced a tough time.

At Nai Basti, vendors had kept a tandoor with their food stalls along the road. The MC team seized the tandoor along with other items.

The vendors alleged MC workers damaged their tandoor due to which they suffered a huge loss. They added that the MC officials did not give them a chance to lift their items.

Tehbazari wing inspector Ravinder Singh Cheema said, “Vends along the road at Nai Basti were creating a hurdle in the smooth flow of traffic. Before taking action, we had requested them to lift their belongings, but to no avail. No one’s tandoor has been damaged. We have seized three tandoors, along with flex boards and other material. The MC will not allow anyone to encroach upon any road in the city.”

Residents are of the view that such drives will not make any difference until MC officials take strict action against those shopkeepers who allow these makeshift stalls to be set up outside their shops. Manjeet Singh, a city resident, said, “The MC has to allocate a proper place to the vendors so that they don’t set up their stalls in any prohibited area. Otherwise, the scenario will not change.”