Patna, May 19: Squatters and encroachers today demonstrated against the ongoing anti-encroachment drive of the government in the city under the banner of the non-government organisation, Aashray Abhiyan.

Nearly 150 vendors took part in the procession that started near Biscomaun Towers and ended at R-Block, after passing through Exhibititon Road. The protesters, comprising more women than men, shouted slogans against the district and city administration and the state government.

They claimed that the drive has rendered them not only jobless but also homeless.

Pratya Devi, 65, one of the protesters, said: “My family comprises my son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. We do not have anywhere to stay. At present, we have taken shelter under a polythene sheet at the Bhanvar Pokhar area. However, I don’t know how long we can stay there, especially as the rains are about to set in.”

Dorothy Fernandez, director, Aashray Abhiyan, said: “Poor people in the city are being oppressed in the course of the anti-encroachment drive. The high court has sanctioned the drive but it has also asked the authorities to make alternative arrangements for the encroachers. I don’t know why that has not been done.

“Why have the squatters not been provided housing units under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)?” she asked.

The procession also attracted Anand Kumar, 29, a student of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, who has come to city to do research for his thesis.

He said: “I got a firsthand experience of living in a slum when I came to the city to do my research. I have been living in Bhanvar Pokhar area of the city for the past few days. The public toilet in the area is in a pathetic state. It has no doors and no attendants. The stench emanating from it is unbearable. The toilet has not been cleaned for months but people are still forced to go there.

“According to articles 19 and 21 of the Indian Constitution, everyone has a right to livelihood. The state government is not doing anything to ensure that,” he added.