The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has launched an anti-encroachment drive at Bhadra Plaza in the Lal Darwaja area, removing roadside vendors accused of obstructing traffic ahead of the Diwali shopping period. The action has triggered opposition from Congress corporators, who have demanded that poor traders be allowed to conduct business for 10 days during the festival.
The drive was carried out by the civic body’s Central Zone estate department on Sunday with a special team comprising six inspectors, four encroachment-removal vehicles and 25 workers. The municipal administration said the operation was aimed at keeping the carriageway clear and improving movement for customers visiting Bhadra Bazaar and the nearby Bhadra Kali Temple.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ramya Bhatt said the action was being taken in accordance with a Supreme Court order. According to the municipal explanation reported by Divya Bhaskar, vending on the carriageway would not be permitted and clear access had to be maintained for visitors during Diwali. The civic body said it would not allow illegal vending to return to the road.
The action was opposed at the site by Congress representatives from the Jamalpur and Khadia areas. Wasim Thakor, the husband of Jamalpur ward Congress corporator Dr Naznin Thakor, alleged that similar markets operate in other zones but that the municipal corporation had formed a special team specifically to target Bhadra Bazaar. He demanded that poor vendors be allowed to trade during the festival and criticised the estate department’s action.
Mayor Hitesh Barot said lawful vendors had been provided space near the Bhadra Kali Temple because of the heavy movement of visitors in the area. He added that the estate department would proceed according to the rules. Standing Committee chairman Kamlesh Patel said the removal of vendors obstructing road traffic would continue in line with the court’s directions.
The dispute also revives older concerns around the management of Bhadra’s street market. The area has previously faced allegations of illegal collections and unauthorised occupation of public space. The report also cited allegations that some local individuals collected money from outside vendors who were permitted to sit in the market.
The civic estate department has said that action is intended in part to prevent inconvenience to devotees visiting the temple. However, coordination with the Karanj police has been a recurring concern. The report said estate teams had faced attacks during earlier operations when adequate police support was not available.
The immediate issue is the removal of vendors from the carriageway, but the competing claims point to a wider administrative challenge: maintaining pedestrian and traffic access in a busy historic market while regulating livelihoods that depend on public space. The municipal corporation’s stated next step is to continue enforcement against vending that obstructs traffic, while lawful vending arrangements remain under the civic administration’s rules.
