Vendors protest against the eviction drive, and (below) policemen try to pacify the mob outside Indradhanu Market at Nayapalli on Thursday. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, April 26: Resistance from local vendors at Indradhanu Market in Nayapalli forced the authorities to stop eviction of illegal encroachments for the day. A mob burnt tyres and damaged two excavators, which were to be used to remove the encroachments, and a truck parked by the roadside.

A team from the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the general administration department faced the wrath of the traders when they were trying to evict illegally built shops at the market. The team was also going to evict those traders who had been running their businesses without paying dues to the BDA, which owns the market.

Some local traders and nearby slum dwellers opposed the eviction drive saying they had not been informed prior to the drive. Besides, nearby residents said they would be affected if the shops in the market were demolished.

“The authorities should have informed us about the eviction drive. We were not ready for this. Besides, they have not made any alternative arrangements for us. How will we make our living after our shops are destroyed here?” asked Bikash Prusti, a trader who was agitating.

“Some nearby slum dwellers also joined hands with the traders. They alleged that if the shops were removed, they would have to go to Unit-I market for their requirements,” said Lokesh Patra, a nearby resident.

When the eviction team, along with the vehicles, reached the market, around 200 traders, most of them vendors, opposed them. In spite of the presence of police personnel, the mob burnt tyres in an attempt to stop the team from carrying out the drive. Later, they also damaged the excavators and a truck. As the violence escalated, the team of officials left the spot, bringing the eviction drive to an end for the day. However, the authorities said the drive would be executed on another day with deployment of a larger contingent of police.

The BDA had built the market-cum-residential complex in 1991. A total of 600 shops and houses were built and these were provided to the traders.

A joint team from the BDA, BMC and general administration department had earlier carried out an eviction drive three days ago at the same spot. Local residents had opposed the officials then too, but they turned violent today.

“We have stopped the work for today. But the drive will be carried out next time with more police forces deployed at the spot. The drive was carried out to free up the encroached space at the market which can be used for other purposes,” said D.K. Singh, vice-chairman of the BDA.

The Indradhanu Market Business Development Association (IMDBA) secretary Pradeep Kumar Sahoo said the body was opposed to vendors, who encroached on space at the market without participating in the development work for it. Several development works had been stalled because of them, he said.

“It is because of them that permanent shopkeepers, who have bought space from the BDA, are adversely affected. Once the open space in the market is made encroachment free, the authorities can turn it into a parking lot, the lack of which affects the traders as well as the customers,” said Sahoo.

Shopkeepers who had permanent structures at the market and followed BDA and BMC norms said today’s agitators were mostly from nearby slums who were opposing the drive for their selfish gains.