In an attempt to remove encroachments on the roadside,officials of the Vadodara Municipal Corporations (VMC) Encroachment Removal Department decided to use their legs to evict fruit vendors on Saturday. The incident occurred in the Fatehgunj area of the city,opposite to the Seven Seas Mall. The team of officials arrived and started removing the handcarts. Vendors selling clothes had their items seized,while the fruit vendors had their crates kicked off. The hapless vendors did not even have handcarts to carry the fruit. The officials did not even give them time to collect their goods despite their pleas. The issue turned uglier when guards of the mall,who were witnessing the rampage,sniggered at the vendors. This provoked one of the vendors to manhandle a guard. Other guards,however,overpowered him. This vendor told Newsline that it is because of them (the guards) that the VMC has evicted them. Reliable sources at VMC headquarters at Khanderao Market,however,revealed that the encroachment department has strict instructions not to remove any encroachment before the Lok Sabha elections. Dilip Bhatt,Encroachment Removal Officer (North,East Zone) was not available to comment on the incident. Deputy Municipal Commissioner C M Makwana told this paper,If such a thing has happened,then I would certainly ask the in-charge officer to explain as to how the encroachment drive was carried out when there are directions to consult senior officials before doing that. It may be mentioned here that during the issue of removal of the Shukarvaari Bazaar (Friday Market) from the Fatehpura area of the city,the VMC had maintained that they cannot remove the vendors since they do not do business on permanent basis.
