The encroachment of roads in areas adjacent to Gandhi Bazaar in Shimoga was cleared on Thursday.
The encroachment of the road at Nagappanakeri by shop owners had created problems for the vehicular movement while push-cart vendors had occupied the pavement at Haralennekeri.
Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj arrived at Gandhi Bazaar with police in the morning to clear the encroachments.
The shop owners and roadside owners appealed to the Deputy Commissioner to give them time to shift their belongings. It is said that more than 70 shops that had encroached the road were partially demolished with in the evening.
The government had planned to concrete the road at a cost of Rs. 30 lakh at Nagappanaekeri, Elerevannakeri (Rs. 20 lakh) and to upgrade the road at Haralennekeri (Rs. 10.5 lakh). As the district administration planned to develop conservancy space into parking lot and food courts, the vegetable pushcarts that were evicted on Thursday would be accommodated there. The clearance of encroachment was expected to facilitate free vehicular movement in the Gandhi Bazaar.
Assistant Commissioner M.L. Vaishali, Environment Engineer of City Municipal Council Manu Kumar, and councillor Ramu were present.
