Street vendors in capital city protest eviction drive | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Street vendors across several locations in the city demonstrated as enforcement squads of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted eviction drives at Master Canteen, Vani Vihar, Satsang Vihar and Patia areas, among others, on Thursday. Over 8,000 vendors are facing eviction owing to the civic body’s plan of beautifying the city as part of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations next month.
The protesting vendors claimed that the civic body proceeded with eviction without issuing prior notices. Pratap Kumar Sahoo, president of the All-Odisha Roadside Vendors’ Association, said, “BMC is arbitrarily executing the eviction drive without providing rehabilitation to the street vendors. Every time any significant event takes place, the authorities target us. Are we the sole cause of inconvenience? Are we responsible for diminishing the city’s aesthetics before visitors? BMC implemented similar measures during the Hockey World Cup in 2023. Numerous vendors were displaced then without any rehabilitation. The same situation is happening now and we will not accept this.”
City mayor Sulochana Das, however, stated that unauthorised vendors will face eviction while authorised ones will receive proper rehabilitation. “We are establishing new vending zones where vendors are being appropriately rehabilitated,” Das added.
On Wednesday, two legislators from Bhubaneswar, Ananta Narayan Jena and Susant Raut, met BMC commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil to discuss vendors from being evicted. Patil reportedly assured the legislators against evictions, promising vendor relocation. However, contrary actions prompted vendor resistance, who are now warning of dire steps if the civic body doesn’t stop.
The vendors warned that if the civic body decides to go ahead with the evictions, all 30,000 vendors from different associations will initiate an indefinite strike and surround the BMC headquarters and disrupt their work.
“The joint commissioner of the three BMC zones attempted eviction operations, but we opposed as it is unlawful. They cannot evict without providing us proper rehabilitation,” Suryamani Sahu, vice-president of the Utkal Small Business and Vending Zone Association, said.
The vendors warned that if the civic body decides to go ahead with the evictions, all 30,000 vendors from different associations will initiate an indefinite strike and surround the BMC headquarters and disrupt their work.
The BMC authorities have initiated grand preparations for the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, scheduled to be held from January 8 to 10, with wall painting, landscaping and street lighting, among others, and evicting the vendors is part of the drive, sources said.
The protesting vendors claimed that the civic body proceeded with eviction without issuing prior notices. Pratap Kumar Sahoo, president of the All-Odisha Roadside Vendors’ Association, said, “BMC is arbitrarily executing the eviction drive without providing rehabilitation to the street vendors. Every time any significant event takes place, the authorities target us. Are we the sole cause of inconvenience? Are we responsible for diminishing the city’s aesthetics before visitors? BMC implemented similar measures during the Hockey World Cup in 2023. Numerous vendors were displaced then without any rehabilitation. The same situation is happening now and we will not accept this.”
City mayor Sulochana Das, however, stated that unauthorised vendors will face eviction while authorised ones will receive proper rehabilitation. “We are establishing new vending zones where vendors are being appropriately rehabilitated,” Das added.
On Wednesday, two legislators from Bhubaneswar, Ananta Narayan Jena and Susant Raut, met BMC commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil to discuss vendors from being evicted. Patil reportedly assured the legislators against evictions, promising vendor relocation. However, contrary actions prompted vendor resistance, who are now warning of dire steps if the civic body doesn’t stop.
The vendors warned that if the civic body decides to go ahead with the evictions, all 30,000 vendors from different associations will initiate an indefinite strike and surround the BMC headquarters and disrupt their work.
“The joint commissioner of the three BMC zones attempted eviction operations, but we opposed as it is unlawful. They cannot evict without providing us proper rehabilitation,” Suryamani Sahu, vice-president of the Utkal Small Business and Vending Zone Association, said.
The vendors warned that if the civic body decides to go ahead with the evictions, all 30,000 vendors from different associations will initiate an indefinite strike and surround the BMC headquarters and disrupt their work.
The BMC authorities have initiated grand preparations for the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas, scheduled to be held from January 8 to 10, with wall painting, landscaping and street lighting, among others, and evicting the vendors is part of the drive, sources said.
