Terror alarm: Vendors feel the heat

Terror alarm: Vendors feel the heat
Vijay Times

Bangalore: The terrorist strike at the IISc, frightening as it was for the ordinary citizen, has had at least one positive fall-out the impossibly congested area around the Jayanagar shopping complex has been cleared of roadside vendors, much to the relief of residents.

After it was realised that crowded public places were on the terror network s list of targets, the police did not want to take any chances.

In a joint operation, the Jayanagar police along with the BCC sanitised the entire stretch.

This place has huge crowds on weekends and could be a terror target. The footpath vendors here have been a major problem for the last two decades. Now , we have cleared almost all of them except the small flower sellers, said a police officer .

Even those vendors in the passages of the shopping complex were not spared.

The place used to host at least 600 vendors who occupied almost all the footpaths starting from the bus stand.

Now , around 200 twowheelers can be parked on BWSSB office road alone, said another police officer .

In the early-morning crackdown, the BCC authorities confiscated lakhs of rupees worth of goods. Goods worth Rs 1.5 lakh were taken by the BCC officials. Besides this, they have covered the place with soil and have also planted ornamental saplings to prevent future encroachments, said Govindaraju, a street vendor near Janatha Bazaar .

The BWSSB building road which was once crowded wit is now a parking place for over 200 vehicles. BCC planted ornamental trees after clearing the pl vendors.