Tension prevailed at Unit II Market Building in the capital city during an eviction drive by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) enforcement squad n Monday.
The street vendors strongly opposed the eviction drive, which was finally called off following the chaos in the area though adequate police force was deployed for smooth conduct of the demolition drive.
The shopkeepers opposed the drive stating that they were being evicted without any measure for their proper rehabilitation. They offered stiff opposition when the enforcement team started demolishing makeshift structures in front of the Keshari Mall in the Market Building area. The vendors claimed that they had not been given any prior notice for shifting.
They demanded that immediate steps be taken to rehabilitate the shopkeepers before undertaking any demolition in the area.
Market Building is one of the most crowded commercial areas of the capital city with hundreds of makeshift shops. Whenever, the BMC tries to evict these street vendors, there is strong opposition.