Rasgulla shops being demolished at Pahala on Wednesday. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 12: Mouth-watering rasgullas that have been a trademark of Pahala, a sleepy village on the borders of Cuttack and the city, may shortly be a thing of the past with most shops being razed to the ground to facilitate expansion of the National Highway No. 5.

Many shops selling this sweet delicacy on both sides of the highway have been demolished to clear encroachment.

The traders said the action of the authorities had hit their livelihood hard with both production and sales dipping alarmingly.

The local rasgulla-making industry provides sustenance to the shopkeepers and the milkmen.

The authorities have demolished the shops that had come up on government land.

The affected shopkeepers said that while they were not opposed to development activities, the authorities should have given them ample time to look for an alternative site for their shops.

“The authorities announced about the demolition drive on Friday afternoon. Some of us had started shifting when suddenly they began the demolition drive on Monday. We have sustained a heavy loss,” said Akshya Kumar Lenka, president of the Kelu Behera Mitha Byabasayi Mahasangha, the umbrella organisation, fighting for these traders.

In the two-day drive on Monday and Tuesday, a joint team of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, general administration department and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) demolished around 70 sweet shops.

The NHAI is carrying out the expansion job. On Friday, four temples at Rasulgarh Square were demolished for the same purpose.

“Shops that had come up on government land have been demolished. As the shop owners had illegally occupied the land, they were informed a few days earlier about the action. However, our teams have not touched the shops that had come up on private land. The highways authority, however, will acquire the land from them according to their requirement,” said a senior official.

The traders said they had been doing business at this spot for several years. Due to its strategic location between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, where most of the buses and cars make a stop, the rasgullas of Pahala have become quite popular.

Shopkeepers used to make anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 per day from the sale.

Similarly, milkmen from neighbouring areas such as Niali, Gobindpur and Nimapara had been supplying cheese to these sweet makers and earning a decent living.

The residents of the twin cities have also expressed shock at the demolition of shops.

“Whenever I go to Bhubaneswar, I make it a point to stop at Pahala for the sweet delicacy. The flavour is unique, and the quality has never disappointed me. It is sad that so many shops have been demolished,” said Jyoti Bhujbal, a youth from Odisha who works in Delhi.

A group of traders from Pahala have met the Khurda collector and requested him to provide them with an alternative site.