Sambalpur, April 8: Police resorted to mild baton charge at Golbazar Chowk in Sambalpur to disperse a mob that gathered to oppose an eviction drive launched by the Sambalpur Municipality.

The municipality began an extensive drive to remove encroachments in the city yesterday.

The civic body evicted 28 shops yesterday that encroached upon the main road in Golbazar Chowk. Municipality personnel, with the help of police, today bulldozed the structures constructed on government land. The team evicted roadside vendors and hawkers from both the sides of the road.

The road connecting Golbazar Chowk and Baidyanath Chowk is an important business centre and local residents depend on this market for their daily needs.

While vendors opposed the move, shopkeepers of the market and local residents applauded the eviction drive.

“Golbazar market road is an important road. We welcome the decision of the municipality to bulldoze the structures. We also welcome the eviction of roadside vendors,” said Ranjit Singh Chawla, a shopkeeper at the market.

“Encroachments often caused traffic jams in the area. At least now people passing through this road will not be stuck in traffic jams,” Chawla added. “The vendors and small shops had illegally occupied government land. There were huge traffic snarls on the road connecting Golbazar Chowk and Baidyanath Chowk because of these unauthorised constructions,” said Md. Kasim, a local resident.

He was unsure, however, about the efficacy of the drive. “The municipality authorities have evicted these encroachments several times in the past but had not been able to find a permanent solution. The vendors will come back and occupy these places,” Kasim said.

“People have been complaining about the encroachments and roadside vendors. It’s a big problem in this area,” said Reena Tribedi, chairperson of Sambalpur Municipality.

Allaying Kasim’s fears, she said: “The municipality has allocated a piece of land near the government bus stand to the evicted roadside vendors. There is a proposal to have a new vending zone in Sambalpur.”