Eviction looms over 258 shop owners at Vijayawada’s Lenin Centre
Shop owners at Vijayawada’s Lenin Centre are facing imminent eviction following a High Court order regarding illegal construction on canal bunds. Despite the VMC offering relocation sites, the shopkeepers are resisting the move, citing the potential loss of livelihood for hundreds of workers.
Why it matters
The conflict illustrates the tension between urban development/environmental regulations and the protection of small-scale street vendors.
Owners of 258 shops along the Ryves Canal at Lenin Centre in Vijayawada face an uncertain future, with their eviction appearing imminent after the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) initiated action in compliance with the directions of the A.P. High Court.
Most of the establishments are clothing and book shops that draw hundreds of customers every day. Though many of the shops measure about 10 ft. by 10 ft., each employs at least five workers to attract customers, providing livelihood to an estimated 600 to 700 people.
The workers now face the prospect of losing their jobs as the VMC has begun issuing eviction notices following the High Court’s directions.
The dispute has persisted for nearly a decade. According to the VMC, the Irrigation Department had issued notices on several occasions in the past as the shops were constructed on the canal bund.
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