Litter-bugs attack VMC staff

The VMC has filed a police complaint against the owner of Sainath STD/PCO, a tea-stall owner and 50 other persons. In his complaint, the officer of administrative ward number 2 said that a group of people, including the STD/PCO owner and the tea-stall owner, pelted stones on the VMC vehicles and prevented the on-duty staff from executing their job.

Window panes of a dumper and a jeep were broken, and the jeep was also overturned. The Corporation has estimated the loss to be approximately Rs 15,000.

The civic staff from the administrative ward offices 1 and 2 and the encroachment removal squad had gone to the site under the leadership of Dhulabhai Kodi, Ramesh Patel, Bajrang Pardeshi, Gopal Parmar and others.

One of the officers said the tea-stall owner in front of the STD/PCO booth refused to pay the fine. And when told that his larri would be taken away, he got annoyed.

After a majority of the officers went to another shop to recover the fine, these two and the mob which came from a nearby place attacked the squad. Nobody was injured. Patel said the larri was taken away.

Municipal Commissioner G R Aloria said the VMC would continue its drive against litter bugs. Following a representation by Congress leaders in the VMC, he said he would look into the matter to see whether higher fines are recovered from larri-galla owners.