The Times of India              28.10.2013  

Lucknow Municipal Corporation accuses Aminabad traders of encroachment

LUCKNOW: A new angle has emerged in the anti-encroachment drive in Aminabad with Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) planning to bring even the permanent traders under its scanner. As the high court's deadline for removing encroachments from Aminabad streets finishes on October 28, the civic body is ready with an affidavit claiming that most traders of Aminabad, who moved the high court to remove vendors from roads, are themselves responsible for encroaching upon their shop verandahs.

The LMC's tax superintendant Shridhar Yadav said, "On inspection it was found that the complainants are themselves violating laws. They have themselves encroached upon verandahs in front of their shops by extending their shop-counters, installing generators and machines, dumping goods and even parking two-wheelers."

The municipal corporation has warned the shopkeepers to remove set-ups immediately else it would file FIR against all of them. Officials said they have reported it to the local police station and would seek their help in freeing the encroached shop areas of Aminabad.

He said that LMC was filing an affidavit against the complaining traders who have been themselves found guilty. This would be accompanied by actual report on the extent of anti-encroachment drives conducted last week and how many vendors have been actually identified and removed from the streets of Aminabad. The affidavit would mention about the measures the LMC took to clean up the place and apprise the HC on the present situation.

The LMC officials said that around 8-10 permanent traders had filed a petition in HC a few weeks ago, claiming that rampant encroachments by street vendors has been adversely impacting their business and traffic movement. They had sought immediate removal of the vendors from Aminabad streets.

After the PIL, around 71 permanent shopkeepers submitted applications to the LMC complaining of encroachments and demanding their immediate removal. Responding to the PIL, HC ordered Nagar Nigam to take immediate measures to remove encroachments and apprise them of the current situation of October 28.

The orders compelled the LMC to swing into rapid action and conduct two massive anti-encroachment drives in Aminabad on October 22 and 26. On the first day, while the LMC squad was busy demolishing temporary structures and evicting vendors from the streets, Samajwadi Party MLA, Ravidas Mehrotra intervened and bought time till October 25 for the vendors to amicably move to some other place.

The corporation removed about 60 vendors on October 22 and made clear that those who fail to relocate to other place would have to face the music on October 26. On the final day, LMC anti-encroachment squad- '296' comprising almost 20 members, gang man and inspectors raided the lanes once again and demolished many permanent structures from the prohibited areas. The LMC was able to evict about 125 encroachments on that day.

The LMC officials have prepared the affidavit on Sunday which would be submitted to the HC on Monday. A very important issue has been brought to the fore by the LMC that many permanent shopkeepers have made illegal basements in their shops and trade everyday through them. Officials claim traders have brazenly made basements right under the nose of authorities without seeking any permission from LDA or any NOC from Nagar Nigam.

Now, the LMC officials are looking forward to raze illegal basements. The police and LDA have been requested to intervene to jointly carry out a massive drive against such shopkeepers. Officials claimed the basement construction was unsafe and creepy.

A new schedule has been formed by municipal commissioner RK Singh which instructs that LMC would conduct drives in Aminabad every alternate day to keep a check on encroachments just like in case of Hazratganj. The kotwali in charge of Aminabad police station and the zonal officer of LMC would make regular rounds of the area to prevent any further encroachments.

In total, almost 256 vendors have been evicted from the streets and the rest have been asked to confine to the yellow lines on roads. While few have migrated to other markets, most of the vendors have been given places in verandahs around the underground Jhandewala parking slot.