Gaya: Barely two months after the anti-encroachment drive launched by the district administration to remove both temporary and permanent encroachments, vendors have reoccupied the cleared space with renewed intensity, virtually blocking the all-important K P Road, the nerve centre of the city’s business area.The drive was launched soon after the swearing-in of Nitish Kumar as Bihar CM in Nov 2025. However, with encroachers returning to the area, the more than 60-ft-wide K P Road is now virtually accessible only to pedestrians during evening business hours. Adding to the problem, autorickshaws and e-rickshaws are randomly parked between the G B Road-K P Road intersection and Rajindra Tower, causing inconvenience to road users.Admitting that encroachers have returned to K P Road and adjoining areas, municipal commissioner Abhishek Palasia said he has requisitioned police force to relaunch the anti-encroachment drive in the affected areas. He said a more effective drive would be undertaken once adequate police force becomes available.Expressing concern over the re-emergence of encroachments, Kaushalendra Pratap, patron of the Central Bihar Chamber of Commerce, said a “hit and run approach” to the issue would not work.He said proper rehabilitation of displaced vendors must be ensured, adding that in the absence of designated vending zones, the problem cannot be addressed effectively. Pratap also regretted that the city lacks a master plan and that concrete structures are coming up in a haphazard manner.The business body patron said there was adequate space available to rehabilitate roadside vendors, but due to lack of planning and vision, no permanent solution has been achieved.Identifying possible locations for vending zones, Pratap mentioned areas such as Kathokar Talab, the periphery of J P N Hospital and a large stretch of open land between G B Road and Durga Bari.The chamber of commerce president also reiterated the demand for relocating the land registration office to reduce congestion in the business area and its approach roads.
