Forcing sellers to pay money to local thugs; Enjoy protection from local politicians

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): ‘Hafta-Vasuli’, ‘Takhat’, ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ or ‘Rangdari Tax’ – these are not the names of films, but forms of extortion that street vendors, hawkers and kiosk operators in the capital are exposed to. Kiosk operators are forced to pay this Rangdari tax to local criminals, who reportedly enjoy the support of local politicians. Sellers cannot run their business unless they appease these crooks by regularly paying these illegal ‘taxes’.

‘Takhat’ is a trend in Bittan Market (vegetable markets) for vendors. Per day, vendors here have to pay Rs 80-Rs 100 to the mafia. Similarly, Gabbar Singh Tax – for which they use the term GST – is also a kind of ‘Hafta-Vasuli’ of other street vendors who operate kiosks.

The incident of women hawkers abusing a corporator in Food Street in Shahpura is a fallout of this Rangdari tax. A video of the incident appeared on social media. Vikram Meena, a food street vendor in Shahpura, said, “Many times we were blackmailed and threatened that a case would be registered under the SC/ST Act if we do not pay the amount. We have already paid Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh to the local mafia.”

Suresh Gurjar, vendor at Bittan market, said, “We have to pay ‘Takhat’ to run our business at the vegetable market. Every day we pay Rs 100 to the local mafia who runs the entire Bittan Market business. Along the same lines, Mahesh Patel, who operates a kiosk near the courtroom, said, “To protect our kiosks from BMC’s anti-encroachment drive, we have to pay the local mafia linked to the civic body’s administration. We have to pay regularly.”

15,000 illegal kiosks in the city

BMC chairman Kisan Suryavanshi said that around 15,000 illegal Gumti (kiosks) are being operated in the city. The BMC government is carrying out a drive to keep these illegal kiosks under an anti-encroachment drive.

Legal kiosks

Only 254 kiosks in various hawker centers are legal as these are allotted by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, BMC Commissioner Nidhi Singh said.

Location of legal kiosks or hawker corners are Lalghati Chowraha, Kali Mandir, Sultania Hospital Complex, Firdos Park (Kamla Park), MANIT-Nehru Nagar, Birla Mandir, Lily Talkies, Old Subhash Nagar, in front of St Mary School, Chhapan Bhog (Malviya Nagar), MP Nagar (Zone-1), Shivaji Nagar, Habibganj Railway Station, 10 Number Market, Manisha Market, Kalpana Nagar (Swimming Pool), Khajuri Sadak, People’s Hospital.