Police and Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) launched an anti-encroachment drive against footpath vendors in Sakchi and near MGM Medical College & Hospital after the 48-hour ultimatum to vacate the illegal selling points lapsed on Monday.

About 50 vendors doing business from pushcarts and makeshift shops were removed from Sakchi-Mango Road and MGM hospital.

The drive, which continued till afternoon, will be resumed from Tuesday morning.

JNAC city manager Ravi Bharti said the encroachment drive followed a directive by , Dhalbhum sub-divisional officer Chandan Kumar.

“We will have to remove around 50 more makeshift shops from near MGM hospital on Tuesday. After that, we will conduct the drive at Sakchi market where over 1,000 footpath vendors have almost choked the marketplace,” Bharti said.

He said the anti-encroachment team would seize the pushcarts and wares if the vendors resisted the drive.

Meanwhile, a section of footpath vendors demonstrated in front of the East Singhbhum deputy commissioner’s office on Monday to protest against the drive and demand an alternative place for doing business.