DMC launches citywide eviction drive to clear public spaces

Dibrugarh: In an eviction drive against illegal roadside vendors across the city, Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC) on Sunday targeted encroachments on footpaths, parking zones and public spaces in a significant push to bring civic order to a city on the cusp of becoming Assam’s second capital.

Municipal teams, led by DMC commissioner-in-charge Navas Das and accompanied by law enforcement personnel, fanned out across several key stretches, including Assam Medical College Road, RKB Road and HS Road — areas where unauthorised vending is most rampant. Stalls and makeshift structures were dismantled and carried away in DMC trucks.

The drive came after the expiry of a seven-day notice period issued by DMC, urging vendors to relocate to designated vending zones voluntarily. Despite the warning, many vendors remained at unauthorised locations, prompting authorities to take enforcement action.

“The notice period gave everyone a fair opportunity to comply. Now that it has expired, we have no option but to act firmly. This city is growing, and it must grow in an organised manner,” Das said.

Just two days earlier, on June 5, the newly formed Assam cabinet approved the creation of a State Capital Region in Dibrugarh, formally setting the city on course to become the state’s second capital. The decision was taken at the first cabinet meeting following the expansion of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s ministry.

Under the approved plan, the proposed State Capital Region will encompass areas within a 20-kilometre radius of the Dibrugarh Capital Complex. A dedicated body — the State Capital Region Development Authority, Dibrugarh (SCRDA-D) — will be constituted to oversee planning, identify growth corridors and guide future urban expansion. The MLA of Dibrugarh will serve as ex officio chairman of the authority, holding a Cabinet rank. Govt has also earmarked Rs 500 crore over five years to support infrastructure development in the region.

Against this backdrop, civic authorities have signalled that maintaining order in public spaces is no longer optional. “Dibrugarh is being developed as a second capital. The image of the city matters. We cannot allow footpaths and roadsides to remain choked with illegal stalls,” mayor Saikat Patra said.

Sunday’s operation is part of a sustained enforcement campaign that has been gathering momentum over recent weeks. On May 26, DMC and district administration launched a citywide awareness drive, with officials using microphones to urge vendors to shift to the 28 designated vending zones notified across 11 key roads.

Authorities warned that enforcement would continue and that repeat offenders would face stricter penalties. Residents in affected areas largely welcomed the drive, expressing hope that clearer footpaths and reduced congestion would become permanent features of the city rather than short-lived results of periodic crackdowns.