India, July 20 -- The Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Azadpur has intensified its anti-encroachment drive across Asia's largest wholesale fruits and vegetables market, removing illegal vendors and structures to ease traffic congestion and warning of strict action against repeat violators. The drive, which is being conducted during both business hours and at night, aims to ensure smooth movement of vehicles and pedestrians by clearing public roads and key market stretches of unauthorised occupation, the APMC said in a statement. According to the statement, a joint team of officials from the APMC's Enforcement, Engineering and Maintenance (E&M) and Security branches, assisted by personnel from Mahendra Park police station, carried out a major operation on May 30 at Sheds 7, 9 and 13 of the New Fruit Market and the C-Block Chowk of the New Sabzi Mandi.
Several unauthorised fruit vendors allegedly operating without valid licences fled the spot during the action, while goods belonging to other encroachers were seized. Following discussions with licensed traders at shed number 13, the market committee decided to deploy additional security guards round the clock to prevent fresh encroachments, it said. The statement said illegal roadside vendors, carts and makeshift structures in the C-Block area of the New Sabzi Mandi were also removed with the help of police personnel. Unauthorised structures were demolished using a JCB machine and the remaining material was confiscated, the statement added. On June 7, enforcement officials removed an unauthorised 20x20-foot tin shed allegedly constructed on land reserved for a park in the Market of National Importance (MNI), Azadpur, it said. The committee said another special drive was conducted on June 30 in the New Frui
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.