An anti-encroachment drive was carried out in Bodhgaya on Friday, ahead of the Pitru Paksha Mela. Following instructions from Gaya DM Shashank Shubhankar, the action was taken along the roadside from the Bodhgaya BTMC office to Domuhan Mod. During the drive, several small huts and fruit stalls built along the road were removed. The campaign was led by Bodhgaya Block RO and acting Circle Officer, Chandrashekhar.

However, local residents have accused the administration of discrimination in this action. They claim that many large iron tents and shops are still present along the road, on which no action has been taken. People have questioned why the action was limited only to selected small shops if the directive was to remove all types of encroachments. Small vendors were targeted, while leniency was shown towards larger encroachments.

RO Chandrashekhar refused to state whether the encroachments were removed permanently or temporarily. The sanitation manager of the Nagar Parishad and a police team were also present at the site during the drive. Local residents believe that the administration should have acted equally against all encroachments to maintain fairness.