In protest against the eviction orders implemented by both the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, hundreds of street vendors on Thursday gathered for a demonstration, surrounding the North Zone office of the BMC.
Participants took to the streets and organized a mass rally at NALCO Square, chanting slogans against the local government. They presented a list of 10 demands, chief among them a complete halt to the ongoing anti-encroachment drive.
The protestors insisted they would not leave their current locations, calling on the BMC to create a designated vending zone at the same site and to provide each vendor with an 8-foot by 10-foot structure. “Street vendors were made to vacate during the hockey tournament (2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup), resulting in a total loss of sales and severe distress. Now, two years later, the authorities are once again recklessly forcing us to abandon our livelihoods,” lamented one vendor participating in the protest.
The demonstrators announced plans to escalate their protests if their demands are ignored. Coincidentally, on December 24, Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das revealed the BMC and BDA’s initiative to make 55 roads in Bhubaneswar ‘encroachment-free’ in preparation for the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan’ set to begin on January 8. Notably, the Mayor had previously assured that, once the roadside vendors were cleared, designated permanent vending zones would be established for them.
