APMC intensifies anti-encroachment drive at Delhi's Azadpur Market

New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) The Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Azadpur has intensified its anti-encroachment drive across Asia’s largest wholesale fruits and vegetables market, removing illegal vendors and structures to ease traffic congestion and warning of strict action against repeat violators.

The drive, which is being conducted during both business hours and at night, aims to ensure smooth movement of vehicles and pedestrians by clearing public roads and key market stretches of unauthorised occupation, the APMC said in a statement.

According to the statement, a joint team of officials from the APMC’s Enforcement, Engineering and Maintenance (E&M) and Security branches, assisted by personnel from Mahendra Park police station,

carried out a major operation on May 30 at Sheds 7, 9 and 13 of the New Fruit Market and the C-Block Chowk of the New Sabzi Mandi.

Several unauthorised fruit vendors allegedly operating without valid licences fled the spot during the action, while goods belonging to other encroachers were seized.

Following discussions with licensed traders at shed number 13, the market committee decided to deploy additional security guards round the clock to prevent fresh encroachments, it said.

The statement said illegal roadside vendors, carts and makeshift structures in the C-Block area of the New Sabzi Mandi were also removed with the help of police personnel.

Unauthorised structures were demolished using a JCB machine and the remaining material was confiscated, the statement added.

On June 7, enforcement officials removed an unauthorised 20×20-foot tin shed allegedly constructed on land reserved for a park in the Market of National Importance (MNI), Azadpur, it said.

The committee said another special drive was conducted on June 30 in the New Fruit Market and New Sabzi Mandi to remove hawkers and unauthorised fruit and vegetable vendors blamed for traffic bottlenecks.

Further operations were carried out on July 15 to clear encroachments at Shed No. 13 and on the night of July 16 in the D-Block area of the New Sabzi Mandi, it added.

The APMC said fresh fruits and vegetables seized during the operations were distributed to registered orphanages and children’s homes across Delhi to prevent wastage.

The market administration said the anti-encroachment campaign would continue and warned that violators could face heavy fines and cancellation of licences for repeated breaches of rules. PTI AHD MDO MDO