Kathmandu, December 10

Tension flared up in Baneshwor vegetable market after government officials backed by riot police used bulldozers to rage the vegetable stalls illegally operating there for the past few years.

Though the vegetable market took the land owned by Citizen Investment Trust on lease, the contract had not been renewed since 2010. The CIT had repeatedly issued public notice asking the occupants to vacate the land, but in vain.

Police said the huts in the market were bulldozed after the greengrocers paid no heed to the public notice issued by the CIT to vacate the land on ground of non-renewal of the lease.

The greengrocers also staged protest chanting slogans against the government, saying their huts were razed without prior notice. The case is also sub-judice in the court. They have threatened to gherao the CIT from tomorrow demanding justice.

An official at the CIT said it had no option but to bulldoze the huts to vacate the vegetable market after the greengrocers refused to comply with the public notice. He said the CIT was set to construct its five-storey commercial building with underground parking on the six-ropani plot .