Street vendors still wait for permanent sites in markets

Ravi Chandel

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 19

The initiatives of the Municipal Corporation implement the Street Vendor Livelihood Act in the city have not borne fruits.

The civic body has issued 1,650 licences to street vendors but it has failed to allocate sites to these vendors.

As per sources, Noida-based Rudrabhisekh company has been roped in for consultancy and for making identity cards, allocation of sites and issue licences to street vendors.

As many as 3,133 vendors are waiting to get identity cards and licences.

On the other hand, shopkeepers have already staged protest against the Municipal Corporation over allocating sites to vendors as they say there is shortage of space in the city.

“We don’t find space to park our vehicles. Commuters are also facing the same problem. Now, the MCB is allocating permanent sites on the footpath to the street vendors.”

Harbans Bhullar, a shopkeeper, said, “Already, our business is suffering losses. They MCB has just overlooked the problems faced by us. We will not let this happen. If needed, we will intensify our protest.”

Sulekha Kumar, a street vendor, said, “After getting identity cards and licences from the MCB, we are still facing problems as shopkeepers would not allow us to carry on our work near their shops.”

The authority concerned has to be strict so that this conflict doesn’t occur, she added.

Municipal Commissioner Sanyam Agarwal said, “Right now, we are busy in some other projects but the street vendor policy is also in our mind. It is a huge project that will take some time but surely it will be implemented soon.”