Image: Northeast Now

Authorities of the Agartala Municipal Corporation conducted a massive anti-encroachment drive in the Tripura capital to make the city clean and free for traffic movement.

Wednesday was the third day of the anti-encroachment drive that was launched on July 3 last, said Dr. Shailesh Kumar Yadav, Municipal Commissioner of the AMC.

He added that all roads and footpaths are being made free from encroachment of shop owners who have made permanent or temporary structures and covered 10 to 15 feet into the road and because of which movement of people and vehicles are restricted.

Dr Yadav said, “The basic aim is to make the life of citizens of Agartala city better so the people and vehicles can move freely and the roads congestion free.”

“We are going to do it daily until we are able to see a visible change,” he added.

He also appealed to all citizens, shopkeepers to remove the encroachments voluntarily.

“We do not want to harm them financially and before doing the anti-encroachment drive we have announced this over the loudspeaker as warning and which is actually not required as per the Tripura Municipal Act,” he further said.

The Commissioner, however, added that the real street vendors who are doing business on mobile small vehicles on wheels because they are protected under Tripura Street Vendor Act and they have been identified through survey and very soon AMC will provide them identity cards beside designated areas where they can do their business.

Meantime, Bidur Kumar Ray, a shopkeeper complained that the AMC mobile task force accompanied by a large number of police have broken a temporary roof in front of his shop and taken it away.

He also informed that they were earlier provided notice that nothing can be placed outside the shop on the road or footpath.

However, common people appreciated the act of the AMC and viewed that earlier due to the encroachers they were not able to move freely but often they were not allowed to park their vehicles in the designated places parking by the encroachers.

Pinaki Das is Northeast Now Correspondent in Agartala. He can be reached at: [email protected]