BBMP razes landmark shops in Gandhi Bazaar

Bangalore, Jan 24: Hawkers in Bangalore had no alternative but to face the wrath of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Tuesday, Jan 24. The administrative body demolished a number of unauthorized shops in Gandhi Bazaar area as part of city's civic and infrastructural assets maintenance duty. [

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BBMP sources said that hawkers in Gandhi Bazaar remained defiant to vacate despite a number of notices from BBMP as they had occupied space on the public footpath. Taking a tough stand over the issue, BBMP on Tuesday, hit the streets demolishing the shops, unauthorized ones, with a pokelane machine.

However, footpath venders claimed that they were not provided with any prior notices before the wipeout.

Annoyed by BBPM's swoop, footpath hawkers agitated against the administrative body and condemned their action. Sources said that hundreds of affected hawkers gathered and held marches across Gandhi Bazaar for the alleged injustice meted out to them.

Footpath traders in Gandhi Bazaar were carrying out their trade for decades there, however, according to sources many hawkers refused to move into the market spaces allotted to them by the BBMP. The move will also aid in widening the footpath, thus making it easier for commuters to walk by. BBMP demolished all the shops that obstructed this.

OneIndia News