Encroachers give two hoots to traffic cops

PATNA: OK, so you have an HC order. That doesn''t impress me much! Well, this is no effort to plagiarise Shania Twain''s popular musical.
This is what the encroachers on the congested Ashok Rajpath felt, when traffic policemen invaded them on Thursday.
The "wise" roadside hawkers, who know what''s what for decades, were fully prepared to tackle the unwanted situation.
Before the traffic policemen could lay their hands on the errant shopkeepers, they fled away with their goods, however, not far away from their area of operation. As soon as the anti-encroachment team moved ahead, they were back with their carts cocking a snook at the policemen. The hawkers have patrons among political party workers.
Most of the shopkeepers said the police are harassing them despite the fact that they are paid daily by all the traders of the locality.
Anzum Akhtar, who sells fruit juice, was back on the road as soon as the traffic policemen went out of the sight. With a sheepish grin, he said, "I can''t remain in the hiding for long as I have to earn my livelihood".
"Every day, around 3 pm, a person deputed by the traffic official of this locality comes to us to collect Rs 5. On top of that, we also pay a fixed amount to a contractor who lives in Sabjibagh. Then, how come these policemen come and harass us?" he asked.
A photographer, Sahadat, said he has been taking pictures all his life and that before him his father too worked at the same place, adding, "I have nowhere to go."
However, the most interesting justification was given by Sumitra Devi, who runs a "litti" shop in the area. "CM Rabri Devi is my ''jaat bhai'' (of my caste) and she has given me the permission to carry on with my trade here," she told ToI.
Meanwhile, traffic SP A K Singh, while continuing his tirade against the PMC, pointed out to the garbage thrown on the road and the pits created by payloader machines while lifting garbage. "Garbage too is a big cause of encroachment," he said.
However, the bullying, threatening and beating tactics had no effect on the hawkers as the situation was back to square one only a couple of hours later.