MC eyes roadside vendors for generation of revenue

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 1

The Municipal Corporation (MC) has been expecting a hefty revenue generation by issuing monthly challans to roadside vendors. Recently, the civic body decided to charge Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000 from the vendors in the city.

The MC will check whether or not the original allottees are running their business from the kiosks.

Around a decade ago, the MC had stopped charging the roadside vendors as the latter had started asserting for their right on the land from where they ran their business. Now, the MC has started issuing challans from Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000 to the vendors.

“Not only vendors, shopkeepers and kiosk owners will also be penalised. We will inspect the kiosks in the city. There are a few kiosks which have been allotted in the past. We will check if the same allottee uses the kiosks,” said Estate Officer Sushant Bhatia.

Moreover, we will make separate policy for the kiosks. They were not be allowed to make any amendment or encroach upon the public land, he added.

Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu had said that councillors used to make calls to the officials to save vendors from challans or any such action. The Mayor warned that the councillors, who hinder the revenue collection, would not be considered for grants for development works. Senior Deputy Mayor Raman Bakshi said the estate wing has a huge possibility of revenue collection. “We will explore it,” he added.