Day after drive, illegal vendors back in Brahmaputra Market

A day after the Noida authority carried out an anti-encroachment drive at Sector 29’s Brahmaputra Market, street vendors who were removed from the spot returned on Wednesday and transacted business.

The Noida authority carried out the drive on Tuesday after complaints from residents of Arun Vihar, which comprises wards in sectors 29 and 37. Members of Arun Vihar Residents’ Welfare Association (AVRWA) said that the authority’s move on Tuesday seemed nothing less than an eyewash.

“This is not the first time that this has happened. We have been living here for the past 30 years; we have lost count of the number of times the vendors have come back hours after an antiencroachment drive. The Noida authority needs to take strict action so that the vendors do not encroach the market and conveniently shift to the new vending zone that has been created for them in the area,” said Colonel (retd) IP Singh, chairman of AVRWA.

Brahmaputra Market is one of the oldest and popular market complexes in Noida. As per officials of Noida authority, the illegal vendors here have been asked to shift to a separate vending zone that has been created near the post office along the T-junction of the Ambedkar

Market in Sector 37, but the vendors resisted the move.

“We have taken note of the matter and will take strict action against the vendors who violated our orders and again encroached upon the public place. We will carry out another anti-encroachment drive in the area in the 1-2 days,” said Indu Prakash Singh, Noida authority’s officer on special duty.

S K Gupta, president of Rehri Patri Sanchalak Welfare Association, said, “After a survey of the market, we have found that the vendors having licence are under the impression that they are allowed to continue operating from the Brahmaputra Market. We will inform them and try to resolve the matter.”