Affected milk traders to be rehabilitated: Patna Municipal Corporation

PATNA: After much hullabaloo over demolition of wholesale milk market near Patna Junction, the Patna Municipal Corporation on Thursday assured the affected traders that they will be shifted to the upcoming vending shelters soon. A letter in this regard was issued by the executive officer of New Capital circle of the civic body around 3am on Thursday.
The demolition of the milk market had taken a political turn on Wednesday with leader of opposition in state assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav sitting on a dharna near the demolished site along with other RJD functionaries.The dharna had lasted for about seven hours – from 7.30pm to 2.30am – with Tejashwi hitting out at divisional commissioner Anand Kishor for razing the milk market without giving any prior notice to its occupants.
Tejashwi, who had been ‘missing’ from public space after the RJD’s debacle in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, also used the opportunity to hit out at CM Nitish Kumar. “The milk and fish markets near Patna Junction had been set up by former CM Lalu Prasad for the poor. Since Nitish hates the poor, he is not allowing these people to do business from the heart of the city,” Tejashwi said.
The RJD chief, who left the dharna site only after receiving assurance from the authorities concerned about rehabilitation of the affected traders, also attacked senior officials for not responding to his demand.
Sources said the administration issued the letter in haste as the opposition was not ready to withdraw agitation without getting a written guarantee.
New Capital circle executive officer Shailesh Kumar said around 60 traders were doing business from the wholesale milk market. “We will soon provide them alternate space soon. However, we are not in a position to give any deadline for the same,” Shailesh said.
Another PMC official said demolition of the market was a tough task as attempts in this regard had failed earlier. “It became possible only because senior officials were present at the site during the demolition drive,” he added.
This demolition was part of the mega anti-encroachment drive being carried out by the district administration in the city. The drive, which had started on August 17, will continue till August 31.