More than 100 hawkers from across Dhanbad staged a daylong dharna and demonstrated in front of the municipal corporation's office on Thursday to protest against the anti-encroachment drive carried out by the district administration in different parts of the districts such as Hirapur, Hatia, Bekar Bandh, Bhisti Mohalla and Housing Colony.
The protesters, who had first assembled at Tetutallah Ground under the banner of Footpath Dukandar Roji Roti Uparjan Sangh, marched to the civic body's office at Bank More to demand withdrawal of the ongoing eviction drive. They threatened to gherao Raj Bhavan in Ranchi if the district administration fails to act.
Speaking to The Telegraph, president of Footpath Dukandar Roji Roti Uparjan Sangh Shyamal Majumdar said, "Instead of evicting shopkeepers in the name of anti-encroachment drives, the administration should try to develop vending zones equipped with all facilities."
The vendors later handed over a seven-point charter of demand to civic body CEO Sidddharth Shankar Chaudhary in which they have also called for implementation of the provisions of National Urban Livelihood Mission that envisages vending zones and providing access to all kinds of facilities to the hawkers.
