Kagaznagar roadside vendors dump vegetables on road to protest alleged harassment

Roadside vegetable vendors in Kagaznagar dumped vegetables on a road on Friday to protest alleged harassment by civic officials. They demanded a market at Sirsilk Colony, while the CPI extended support. Officials said vendors were causing traffic problems by occupying roads.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Roadside vendors urged the civic officials to create a vegetable market at Sirsilk colony in Kagaznagar. They dumped vegetables on a road in Kagaznagar on Friday to register their protest against harassment by officials who they alleged were preventing them from selling the vegetables. The CPI party extended solidarity to the protest.

The small-time vendors from several surrounding villages claimed that they had been selling vegetables under sheds by the Sirsilk Company since 1946. They alleged that the place was now occupied by certain persons and public representatives, while illegal structures were built, affecting their livelihood. They wondered where they should sell the vegetables.

---

The vendors recalled that they were forced to leave the sheds during Covid-19 lockdown. They stated that the place was grabbed by some persons due to negligence of the officials. They reasoned that they were compelled to sell the vegetables on a road in the colony. They demanded an apology from the officials for reportedly abusing them.

The CPI leaders wanted the municipal officials to remove illegal structures and to immediately resume the vegetable market. They demanded the officials to create a Raithu Bazar. They promised to stand by the side of the vendors and to intensify a stir against the civic officials if their issue was not resolved.

The civic officials said that the vendors were occupying a road causing traffic snarls and road accidents. They stated that a place was already allotted to vendors in the heart of the town. They added that the vendors were not showing interest in using the vegetable market. A large number of vendors were selling the vegetables on the road, despite restrictions.