Chandigarh, May 11 -- In a stepped-up drive against illegal encroachments, the UT administration carried out a large-scale removal of unauthorised vendors in the congested markets and narrow lanes of Sector 13, Manimajra, reclaiming key public spaces that had long remained choked.

The operation forms part of an ongoing citywide campaign to regulate street vending and ensure unobstructed movement for pedestrians and vehicles. According to sources, the administration is preparing to submit an affidavit before the Supreme Court of India on May 12, asserting that it has established effective control over illegal hawking in the city.

Soon after the drive, a team of senior officials, including home secretary Mandeep Singh Brar, deputy commiss...