The Chitradurga City Municipal Council officers launched a drive to clear unauthorised petty shops from LIC Office Road to Challakere Gate and on the District Stadium Road here on Tuesday morning to ensure smooth movement of vehicles. The authorities complained that more than 30 petty shops had come up on these two roads without permission from the authorities concerned.
The authorities pressed into service two machines to clear these shops and the operation began at around 6 a.m.
As soon as the authorities started demolishing these shops, the owners of these shops told the officers that they were completely dependent on these shops for their livelihood so alternative arrangements should be made for them before their shops were demolished.
In response, the authorities told the shop owners that ample warning and time had been given to them but the latter had not taken them seriously. Instead, they had continued there business.
“Since ample time was given to the owners of these shops, there is no question of giving them additional time. So the removal of petty shops would not be stopped under any circumstances,” they added.
Commenting on the issue, city municipal Commissioner Chandrappa said that the petty shops have been removed keeping in view the health conditions of the residents in these areas.
These shops had also started creating hurdles in the smooth movement of the vehicles on these roads as students and people had started parking vehicles on the roads to visit these shops.
The nearby college authorities had also complained that students were finding it difficult to move on these roads owing to traffic jam, he added.
