BBMP clears long-standing street vendor stalls; vendors face an uncertain future

BBMP officials on Friday removed long-standing hotels and tea stalls from the footpath of Nallurahalli Metro Station Road near ITPL, Bengaluru. Street vendors expressed their anger, saying, "We’ve been running businesses here for 20-25 years, but the BBMP has suddenly cleared our shops and carts, leaving us in a difficult situation."
Speaking to News Trail, M. Lokesh, BBMP Chief Engineer of the Mahadevapura zone, said, "Yes, we did. What’s wrong with that? They have set up their stalls unofficially for many years on the street, which has caused problems for commuters. We can demolish them anytime since the stalls are illegal."
When News Trail inquired about any prior notice or announcements before the removal, Lokesh suggested contacting the Executive Engineer of that zone.
Executive Engineer Ravi Kumar said, "Many people have complained about this. The vendors have not left any space for commuters, making it difficult for metro travelers to walk by. They have even turned the area unhygienic by pouring water everywhere and littering garbage. We observed this firsthand. There was no point in giving notice or making an announcement because we had warned them multiple times to relocate to an open space, but they did not comply. This was the final option we had."
Addressing the media, the stall owners said, "They can’t remove us suddenly. When we asked why they were removing us, they said they needed to install a gasunk or something similar. They don’t have sympathy for the poor."