Ranchi hawkers protest Smart City, demand livelihood

Over 6,000 street vendors of Ranchi shut their shops on Thursday to participate in a procession against the proposed Smart City in Ranchi and non-rehabilitation of evicted vendors of MG Road, known as Main Road.

With a slogan “we want bread, not smart city,” over 6,000 street vendors of Ranchi shut their shops on Thursday to participate in a procession against the proposed Smart City in the city and non-rehabilitation of evicted vendors of MG Road, known as Main Road.

Over 6,000 street vendors of Ranchi shut their shops on Thursday to participate in a procession against the proposed Smart City. (HT/ Photo for representation)

“State government faces no difficulty in getting land for the proposed Smart City. But when it comes to identifying vending zone to rehabilitate evicted hawkers, government faces problems,” said National Hawkers Association (NHA) general secretary, Shaktiman Ghosh, who led the procession.

NHF additional general secretary Anita Das said, “The civic body in association with the Ranchi Footpath Dukandaar Sangh identified five locations as temporary vending zone. But not a single hawker was rehabilitated.”