Berhampur to free National Highway 217 of hoardings

BERHAMPUR: The National Highway 217 passing through Berhampur may soon be free of hoardings. The district administration has ordered officials concerned to remove the hoardings from either side of the 12-km stretch of NH passing through the town. "We have asked the officers of the NH, police, revenue and Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) to pull out the hoardings from either sides of the NH 217 for the free movement of the vehicles," said Ganjam collector Krishan Kumar. The big hoardings, which illegally mushroomed along the footpaths, have been causing a lot of traffic problems in the town with residents urging the district administration to solve the problem for quite some time. The issue was discussed at a meeting on the development of Berhampur town held here on Thursday evening. The meeting, presided over by the district collector, was attended by officials of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Berhampur Development Authority (BDA), besides MLAs from Berhampur and Gopalpur. The district collector also asked BDA officials to conduct a survey to identify open spaces in town and to rid them of encroachment. Some of the open spaces can be utilized for parking vehicles and some of them would be developed as green-belt with plantation and parks, the collector said. Around 150 open plots in the town, reserved by the BDA in different places, have vanished due to the encroachments, he pointed out. The administration also asked the BDA to crack down on buildings which diverted their open or parking spaces for other purposes. The violators would be punished, the collector warned.

Source: Times of India

Demarcation of vending zones demanded by kiosk owners in Berhampur city

BERHAMPUR: The city is yet to have demarcations for vending zones. Without proper vending zones, encroachment of roads and traffic problems are on the rise. The small traders who depend on road side business are also demanding establishment of vending zones as they are facing losses because of the sudden anti-encroachment drives by the authorities. Bhaskar Lenka, a tea stall owner whose kiosk was destroyed in a recent anti-encroachment drive from the sides of the NH 217 between Kamapalli square and Engineering School square alleged that neither the Berhampur municipal corporation nor the Berhampur Development Authority had thought of establishment of any vending zone which could save the livelihood of poor traders like him.

The promises for establishment of vending zones have been on since 2004-05, when encroachments by small traders were removed from the sides of the NH 217. As no vending zones were established, the traders whose encroachments had been removed again returned to their old place. Another trader, M.K.Reddy who lost his kiosk in recent anti-encroachment drive said regular anti-encroachment drives and his restarting of business has destroyed his economic condition. According to him the municipal corporation has some responsibility towards them as it was collecting five rupees cess from them every day.

In Gate Bazar area the encroachments had been removed from one side of the National Highway 217. But the same shops have come up on other side of the high way. The irony is that a major portion of the highway near this market is being used as garbage dump yard by the municipal corporation. This market and its vendors have been a major cause of traffic congestion in the area.

It is an irony that the vendors of Gate Bazar area are ready for displacement if they are provided a proper vending zone. But the authorities have not been able to provide them an alternate vending site. The former Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), Satyabrata Sahu had proposed the vegetable market at Gate Bazar to be shifted to an alternate site. It may be noted that the vegetable vendors of the area have in the past had also submitted memorandum for the purpose.

Source: The Hindu