Bidkin traders, residents block road to protest 100-ft widening plan

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Scores of traders and villagers staged a rasta roko at Niljgaon Phata on Wednesday, opposing the proposed 100-foot widening of the Chitegaon–Bidkin road. The blockade lasted from 10 am to 11 am, disrupting traffic on the busy Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Paithan route.

Locals argue that the stretch is home to hundreds of shops forming a key commercial zone. They fear the road expansion will demolish existing markets, displace families, and trigger unemployment in Bidkin and Chitegaon. The protest comes amid reports of a broader anti-encroachment drive under the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar road development plan, extending from Gevrai to Kaudgaon on the Paithan highway. Protesters submitted a memorandum to the local authorities after the agitation. Police were deployed on-site to ensure law and order.

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Photo caption:

Residents and traders stage a rasta roko at Niljgaon Phata, Bidkin, against road widening on Wednesday.