The Hindu

Udupi, May 8: Udupi municipality's move to demolish illegal mobile and petty shops, temporary structures and sheds encroaching the road in an effort to widen the roads entered the second day here on Monday.

The municipality removed five petty shops near the Service Bus Stand. After the action by the municipality, five shop owners pulled down the sheds in front of their shops near the Clock Tower. Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj led the action against encroachments. Superintendent of Police A.S. Rao and the Commissioner of Udupi municipality Gokuldas Nayak accompanied him.

Later addressing presspersons, Mr. Ponnuraj said that the drive against encroachments was aimed at widening the congested and narrow main roads. Officially there were 450 petty shops in the city. The district administration took a sympathetic view of the people eking out their livelihood through these petty and mobile shops. It had come to the notice of the district administration that some of these shops were given on rent. Besides widening the roads, the district administration wanted to spruce up the drainage system and remove obstructing street lamps in the city.

The drainage system at the Poornaprajna College Road, where encroachments were removed on Saturday, was being upgraded. The five shops removed near the Service Bus Stand would be shifted to a less congested area.

As many as five shops near the City Bus Stand would be relocated. A rehabilitation package would be worked out for those whose shops are removed and relocated. "Road widening is a continuous project. Our aim is to see that everyone is benefited by these measures," he said.

Illegal hoardings in the city would be removed. Eight big complexes in the city had not made provision for parking space. Notices had been issued to them.