Street vendor run over by car

Berhampur: In a tragic incident, Basanti Naik (52) of Paluru village under Golanthara police station, who was supporting her family by selling flowers, fruits, coconuts and bananas on the roadside near Santoshi Maa Temple at Bijipur here, died on Sunday after being run over by a car.

“The woman died due to the apathy of the administration to solve the traffic problem. It is the administration’s responsibility to clear traffic jam and relocate roadside vendors to a safe place for doing business,” said Rabindra Mishra, a Rights Activist of Stayee Bikasha Lakshya (SBL).

There is acute traffic congestion due to roadside shops and even if houses are built for them, they are not suitable for their business activities, he alleged.

Rabindra has filed a petition before the National Human Rights Commission, the Odisha Human Rights Commission and the Chief Minister in this regard.

Rabindra had earlier written to the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary highlighting the problem of traffic congestion in the city and sought rehabilitation of roadside vendors by providing them safe place for their business activities. But no action has been taken till date, he said.