Protesting against the anti-encroachment drive launched by the district administration that continued for the past two days, the local traders based in Roorkee called a bandh on Friday morning. They alleged that the traffic jam was resulting from rampant entry of four-wheelers in the market areas in defiance of the prohibitory rule and not from encroachment of roads by the shopkeepers as alleged. The markets, including the Anaj mandi area, were closed till afternoon while the traders protested outside their shops with shutters down.
The traders alleged that the administration and the police had been unable to stop the four wheelers from entering the markets, resulting in the areas seeing traffic pileups daily. Speaking to The Pioneer, a local trader Mohammad Rashid said, “We have called on Friday for partial bandh, but if the problem regarding entry of four -wheelers persists, we shall go for a full-blown strike in the coming days. The administration is bothered about the articles kept outside the shops but not paying any attention to the heavy vehicles getting into markets in the day hours, throwing the rules to the winds.”
Other traders like Bhushan Kalra and Sayed Sabri alleged that the police was exploiting the small vendors in the name of anti-encroachment drive. “It doesn’t matter much as far as the traffic snarl is concerned if the shops are extended by having some articles kept outside. What matters the most is the entry of big vehicles, flouting rules. No challan is cut for this blatant violation of the rules by the cops. They are rather after us as we prove to be their soft targets,” said Sabri, adding they would resort to full-blown stir if the cops do not enforce the rules vis-à-vis the entry of the two-wheelers.