Mango street vendors protest anti-encroachment drive, demand rehabilitation

Jamshedpur: Mango shopkeepers, around 150 in number, who lost their shops during a recent anti-encroachment drive are demanding rehabilitation now.

Even as the people of Jamshedpur are preparing for Ram Navami, and while Navratri and Ramzan festivals are going on, the district administration rendered about 150 of street vendors without a means of livelihood by demolishing their makeshift shops during an anti-encroachment drive.

On Sunday, under the administration’s directive, the Mango Municipal Corporation began dismantling around 150 shops, sparking protests from affected shopkeepers.

The street vendors are demanding rehabilitation in proportion to the population, citing the Municipal Corporation Rules, 2014.

They held a meeting on Monday to chalk out their next steps.

Meanwhile, the sudden use of bulldozers in the area has intensified local politics, with the area falling under the Jamshedpur West Assembly constituency, represented by State Health Minister Banna Gupta himself.

During the anti-encroachment drive, the health minister’s brother Guddu Gupta attempted to halt the district administration’s actions, but to no avail.

The BJP has also come out in support of the shopkeepers, adding to the political tussle on the issue.

For some time now, the district administration has been working to clear the area of street vendors, but this recent drive has escalated the situation and drawn attention to the need for proper rehabilitation plans for the affected shopkeepers.