Tensions between local vendors and the civic administration have escalated in Rajasthan's Alwar city over the management of the seasonal Diwali Haat Bazaar. Retail shopkeepers who were previously shifted away from the city's traditional commercial hubs to Company Bagh Road have launched a protest against the municipal corporation. The agitation follows allegations that municipal officials have selectively permitted certain traders to resume business in restricted heritage zones.
Relocation Drive Conducted Three Days Ago
The conflict traces back three days, when the Alwar Municipal Corporation initiated an anti-encroachment drive to regulate pedestrian movement and traffic ahead of the festival. Authorities removed all makeshift retail vendors operating around Ghantaghar, Hope Circus, and adjoining old markets, mandating that they shift their operations to the designated Diwali Haat Bazaar along Company Bagh Road. During the transition, civic officials explicitly assured the vendors that no trader selling festive goods would be permitted to occupy space within the Ghantaghar and Hope Circus belts.
Defiance of Guidelines Triggers Road Blockade
Despite administrative assurances, several retail sellers quickly reoccupied their previous vending spots in the old market sectors. When the shopkeepers stationed at Company Bagh Road discovered that unauthorized stalls were operational once again, resentment spread rapidly among them. In response, a large group of relocated traders marched to the municipal corporation headquarters, staged a sit-in demonstration, and blocked vehicular traffic on the adjacent thoroughfare.
Traders Demand Equal Enforcement and Penal Action
The protesting shopkeepers questioned the administrative consistency, arguing that selective leniency undermines their livelihoods after they complied with relocation orders. They maintained that commercial regulations and vending restrictions must apply uniformly to all market participants without exception. The demonstrators have demanded that the municipal corporation take immediate punitive action against those setting up unapproved stalls in the old markets or allow everyone equal access to the prime shopping corridors.
