Eviction looms over 258 shop owners at Vijayawada’s Lenin Centre

Shop owners at Lenin Centre in Vijayawada oppose the proposed relocation, saying it would severely affect their livelihoods and long-established businesses. | Photo Credit: G.N. Rao Owners of 258 shops along the Ryves Canal at Lenin Centre in Vijayawada face an uncertain future, with their eviction appearing imminent after the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) initiated action in compliance with the directions of the A.P. High Court.Most of the establishments are clothing and book shops that draw hundreds of customers every day. Though many of the shops measure about 10 ft. by 10 ft., each employs at least five workers to attract customers, providing livelihood to an estimated 600 to 700 people.The workers now face the prospect of losing their jobs as the VMC has begun issuing eviction notices following the High Court’s directions.The dispute has persisted for nearly a decade. According to the VMC, the Irrigation Department had issued notices on several occasions in the past as the shops were constructed on the canal bund.In March 2026, 55 shop owners, including members of the Vijayawada Urban Fancy Readymade and Old Cloth Merchants Association, filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking declaration of Lenin Centre as a Heritage Market under the A.P. Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Rules, 2017. They also sought a stay on the eviction process until a survey to identify street vendors was completed.However, in its order dated March 31, 2026, the High Court observed that “the canal bunds and river bunds cannot be allowed to be encroached by the public” and held that the petitioners were liable to be evicted. It also directed the VMC to identify three alternative locations for their rehabilitation.The VMC subsequently proposed three relocation sites: near the Ajith Singh Nagar flyover, the Press Club and D-Mart on Sambamurthy Road. On June 9, it issued another notice asking the shopkeepers to indicate their preferred option within seven days.Nearly two months later, the shopkeepers continue to oppose the relocation. Last week, after power supply to the shops was disrupted for three days, they staged a protest demanding that the eviction process be halted.Muhammad Fathullah, a shop owner, urged the corporation to consider their proposal to relocate the shops to the area near the park at Lenin Centre.“If we shift to any of the three proposed locations, we will lose our customer base. Our businesses have already been affected by online shopping, and relocation will be a body blow,” he said.Mr. Fathullah said the businesses depend heavily on the festive season between Christmas and Sankranti.“We sell goods worth between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh a day during December. The income earned during that period sustains our business for the rest of the year. We stand to lose even that if we are evicted,” he said.While acknowledging that increasing traffic congestion necessitated relocation in the larger public interest, he appealed to the government to safeguard the traders’ livelihoods.“Many of us borrow several lakhs of rupees every year to procure goods from Kolkata. If we are evicted, how will we repay those loans?” he asked.A VMC official, requesting anonymity, said the traders might initially witness a decline in business after relocation, but the situation was likely to improve over time.“If they do not relocate voluntarily, we will have to remove the encroachments with the assistance of the Revenue and Police Departments,” the official said. Published - July 29, 2026 09:35 pm IST