Push carts and small shops of roadside vendors in the 22nd ward of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) were removed by JCBs on 3 July following a directive by the High Court. Visakhapatnam police and town planning officials in large numbers were deployed in the morning for implementing the court order for removing shop vendors. The High Court issued the orders, to remove shop vendors, following a complaint made by the Jana Sena corporator of the ward, Peethala Murthy Yadav.
Petty traders in the ward, whose shops and push carts were removed, lamented that they lost their livelihood because of the officials action. Shop vendors in Visakhapatnam lashed out at the corporator for moving the court against them. “We repent now for electing him as the corporator,” they said.
Over 500 families in the ward were affected by the drive and they met TDP MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu seeking justice. Murthy Yadav has been in news since his election as a corporator as he targeted officials, including former Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy and former GVMC Commissioner Saikanth Varma and also
YSRCP leaders by levelling serious allegations against them. The corporator also alleged encroachment of lands valued in crores in the city and sought CBI probe.
It is learnt that Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, irked over the style of functioning of the corporator, has complained to the TDP high-command against him.
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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu
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