Bulldozers, Fine, Holi Blues, and Bureaucratic Delay!

Pages from a Work Diary:

On March 6, 2026, at Patna Junction, Aashray Abhiyan team members witnessed  the street vendors  running here and there in chaos and panic. The Municipal Corporation's encroachment removal team had arrived, and  which two of the street vendors were caught, and their carts were seized and the contents confiscated. Dilip Patel and the other team members intervene,  talked to the officials and got their carts released after  paying a fine of 5000 rupees.

Then, after the encroachment team left, we told them to set up again and instructed the shopkeepers that to place their shops and carts off the road and to the side, so that the road doesn't get jammed.

We further explained to them, “ become aware of your rights; only when you are organized will you be able to claim your rights under the Stret Vendors’ Act.”

Thus our work of spreading awareness and advocating for vendors’ rights continues.

Ranjit: Today, on March 7, 2026, at Ramkrishna Nagar Labour Chowk, while meeting and talking with the labourer brothers, we discussed how the Holi festival went for the their families. They said that many labourers had not yet returned from home; those who are local residents have come to the chowk.

From Monday, everyone will start arriving. Work is not available yet,  most construction and other activities have shut down for the Holi festival.

Sudarshan: Today, on March 7, 2026, at Dakbungalow, we met and talked with the footpath shopkeepers. We asked how Holi went, everything was fine, right? They said everything was fine. Only a few shops were open, and business  not running well. Some shopkeepers have not yet come from home.

Then we told the shopkeepers that people have not yet returned from their villages and homes; it will remain slow for now. Once everyone comes back from their villages and homes, the shops will run.

Sudarshan: Today, on March 7, 2026, we waited for Patna Municipal Corporation's Additional Municipal Commissioner Ramashish Ji, then met him and discussed the renewal of footpath shopkeepers' cards, passing loans, and making new cards.

He said that we should meet Ganga Babu Ji; for more details.

Then, Bittu Ji  and I went and met Ganga Babu Ji and explained the shopkeepers' problems. He said that the contract of the agency which had been given the work has been cancelled, and until a new agency is identified and assigned the work, they could not say   when the shopkeepers' card renewal and loan work would start.

 All these matters were clarified by Ganga Babu Ji, who works in the municipal corporation.