Law enforcers drive to clear encroachment of footpaths by vendors results in chaos
The normally busy 8th cross of Malleswaram was a verbal battle zone on Wednesday morning, with traders, shop owners and vendors of vegetables and flowers ranged against police who carried out a drive against encroachment of footpaths by hawkers.
Tension gripped the normally sedate area as small business owners claimed that the police, under the guise of the drive to remove infringements by vendors, harassed and threatened them, and took away tradable goods and even diesel gen sets used by shops as cover against power cuts.
“It has become a habit with policemen to harass and threaten businessmen and hawkers on the pretext of ensuring foot free of hawkers. The policemen, especially Sub-Inspector GT Srinivas, were rude. They seized hawkers’ goods and diesel generator sets of shops, claiming that they were placed on the footpath,’’ said Datta alias N Dakshina Murthy, secretary of BJP city unit who led the protest against police.
“The police seized three diesel power generator sets. Sub-Inspector Srinivas used filthy language against shop owners,” said Shaveez Ahmed of Westend Zeuss, an exclusive boutique.
N Rajendra, former corporator, said that the Sub-Inspector said he would order a lathicharge if the hawkers and vendors fail to vacate the footpath immediately. “He acted like a police goonda.”
Srinivas defended the steps he took to clear the footpaths of encroachment. “I have been assigned to focus on footpath encroachment on Sampige Road since Police Commissioner wanted to visit model roads in Malleswaram area,’’ said Srinivas. He said the anti-encroachment drive was videographed, and claimed that “vested interests” were plotting to get him transferred out of the area.
The sub-inspector has said the objective of the drive was to make it convenient for school children and senior citizen to walk on the footpath without any hassles.
“There are some footpaths that occupied by the vendors. The pedestrians have to walk on the road during peak hours, making them vulnerable to road accidents. One can inquire with the residents of the area about the menace of hawkers and vendors on Sampige Road,’’ he said.
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