MC's anti-encroachment drive stalled in Abohar

Abohar, January 18

Hundreds of shopkeepers gathered here today to protest against the removal of temporary encroachments from the footpath outside their shops by the Municipal Corporation (MC).

The Beopar Mandal warned civic body officials that if they continued the anti-encroachment drive, all businesses would be closed in the town. Sensing the fury, MC officials deferred the drive.

Earlier, the MC had successfully shifted 200 fruit and vegetable vendors from footpaths to a new market. But pedestrians complained that shopkeepers had not stopped using footpaths, particularly on both sides of the circular road to stack their goods.

MC officials today visited markets near the railway station and started lifting goods alleging that these had been wrongly stacked on the road. The traders said the corporation had given them three feet space outside each shop to keep goods, which they were using.

Suresh Satija, president, Beopar Mandal, and others reached the spot and expressed displeasure over the anti-encroachment drive. They raised slogans against the civic body. Later, a Beopar Mandal team met Mayor Vimal Thatai at his office and told him that the MC should keep the word given to shopkeepers last year allowing them to use three feet space in front of their shops.

Thatai assured that no shopkeeper would face any trouble. Goods lifted by the MC staff would be returned to traders concerned, he said.