Ranchi, July 15: Hundreds of street vendors and footpath shopkeepers staged a protest outside the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) office on Tuesday against the ongoing anti-encroachment drive, demanding that the civic body provide alternative vending spaces before removing roadside businesses.
The protesters, including handcart operators, stall owners and small traders, marched in a rally from Morabadi to the RMC office via Albert Ekka Chowk.
The demonstration briefly disrupted traffic in the city centre, with long queues of vehicles reported along the Kutchery–Albert Ekka Chowk stretch for nearly 30 minutes.
Raising slogans against the municipal administration, the vendors alleged that the eviction drive was being carried out without adequate prior notice or rehabilitation measures.
They claimed that the action has put the livelihoods of hundreds of families at risk, as many have been operating their businesses in different parts of Ranchi for several years.
The protesters urged the Municipal Corporation to conduct a comprehensive survey of all street vendors, issue formal notices and identify suitable vending zones before initiating eviction proceedings.
They said enforcement action should be taken only after alternative business locations are made available in accordance with legal provisions.
The vendors maintained that they are not opposed to efforts aimed at improving traffic movement or beautifying the city.
However, they stressed that such initiatives should not come at the cost of the livelihoods of economically weaker sections and called for a humane and lawful approach to the anti-encroachment campaign.
The protest concluded after the demonstrators submitted their demands to the authorities, urging the civic body to initiate dialogue and ensure rehabilitation of affected vendors before continuing the eviction drive.
