The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is trying to take advantage of its position which is not viable. Earlier, whatever they implemented was never practised. It’s all politics at their level in which the big fish indulge. There is no cleanliness in markets or residential areas and stray dogs pose a danger. The vendors are enjoying liberty in setting up stalls wherever they want and allow the traffic to be halted in the process. Is this the character of a smart city? The Municipal Corporation should consist of intellectuals who are real policymakers as they are not media-savvy. The word election means drama and to hell with what you preach.
Opinder Kaur Sekhon, Chandigarh
Explain action plan
Hasty implementation of the Act clearly indicates vested interest with an eye on votes. Nothing surprising in it. It is happening everywhere in the country and that too when the government is committed to rooting out corruption. The Congress is credited with bringing in the Act and now, the BJP will take the credit for implementing it. More important is to ensure that these street vendors do not indulge in criminal activities. The authorities should explain their action plan in this regard.
Bharat Bhushan Sharma
Street vendors cause inconvenience
Politicians will never take decisions which may affect their vote bank adversely. They will not implement the decision on eviction or will delay it to suit their requirements. Such decisions are only implemented through court orders. The street vendors are causing much inconvenience to commuters and are a hindrance to road traffic. The street vendors throw muck all around and sometimes it becomes the source of pollution. The vendors not only cause inconvenience but also spoil the beauty of markets and roads. They need to be relocated once and for all without any political mileage and delay. The authorities must also ask the municipal corporation to explain the reason for not relocating the vendors as per the pre-decided dates. Chandigarh is already earmarked for the smart city project and the problem of street vendors may go against it. Let us maintain the beauty of the planned city with specified rules and regulations without any political bias to garner votes.
Wg Cdr Jasbir Singh Minhas (retd), Mohali
Form vending committee
The Street Vendors Act came into force since May 2014. Under the provisions of the Act, the civic authorities should have immediately constituted a vending committee to demarcate vending zones and apprised the vendors of the rules and regulations regarding their eligibility. By now, all the vendors of the city would have been rehabilitated. The order on 28 weeks and haphazard growth of stalls in every nook and corner of the city would have vanished.
Harish Kapur, Chandigarh
Allow traders to use corridors
While allowing street vendors to do business at various spots in the city, shopkeepers should also be allowed to use corridors and adjoining places to display their goods. But the MC must ensure that this arrangement will not fall in the way of the smart city proposal.
KC Rana, Chandigarh
Relief for next 28 weeks
Political parties take residents for a ride. Making and then breaking of its own rules comes so naturally to a political party, particularly when in power. However, unauthorised and unlicensed petty vendors, who happen to operate from the crowded corridors of busy markets and create hindrance in the movement, have welcomed the decision and heaved a sigh of relief for at least the next 28 weeks. The inconvenience of the residents is given the go-by to appease a particular section, just to fetch their votes in the elections. Convenience of the general public becomes a casualty in such game of political brinksmanship.
SC Luthra, Manimajra
Eye on voters, implementation delayed
The Street Vendors Act, brought for the benefit of the public, needs to be implemented without wasting any time, but here it is the other way. The Act of 2014 is going its way in 2016, the year of elections for the civic body. Though too late, street vendors heaved a sigh of relief and the MC eyed its own political advantages in allowing street vendors to run their business till the elections without any problem.
HBS Batra, Mohali
Reaping political advantage
Implementing the Street Vendors Act, 2014, at this stage and allowing 28 weeks to the street vendors to run their business without any fear of the MC authorities impounding their carts is a clear sign of taking political advantage. Can the MC give valid reasons as to the hindrances in implementing this Act of 2014 earlier and what reason has woken up the MC authorities to implement it at this stage and allow the street vendors time till the civic body elections? Has it not been done with the elections in mind? It is a clear game of deriving political advantage.
Balbir Singh Batra, Mohali
Area-wise allocation of vendors needed
It has been observed that the Municipal Corporation does not consider the reality of any scheme before its implementation at the ground level. The vendors have been doing their business for the past many years and suddenly, it is not possible to implement the Act overnight. In the present case, I would suggest that vendors should be allocated area-wise to carry on with the business. At present, vendors are roaming in a particular area just like three-wheelers. The number of vendors in a particular area depends on the population of that place. It has also been observed in the past that the MC is wasting money and time in getting the verandahs cleared of the markets, but the result is always nil. Implementation of the law is also lacking because of vote bank politics. I would suggest that before introducing any scheme, the local councillors should be consulted. Otherwise, the MC will have to cut a sorry figure before the public.
Tarlok Singh, Manimajra
Parties, public exploit each other
It is disgraceful that in the Indian democratic set-up, political parties as well as the public exploit each other for their own end at different times. The Street Vendors Act, 2014, was framed to provide an opportunity to weaker sections to earn their livelihood without misrepresenting or disfiguring the beauty of the city. Therefore, instead of granting them more time to continue with their previous practice, the Municipal Corporation should implement the Act.
Surinder Paul Wadhwa, Mohali
Politically motivated step
The decision by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation not to remove, evict or relocate the street vendors for the next 28 weeks is nothing but politically motivated. It shows that for the civic body, elections are more important than civic sense. The people can suffer, hygiene and sanitation can take a hit and road accidents can take place, but not the loss of a few hundred votes of the street vendors. That is a pity. Everything becomes secondary when it comes to vote bank politics. The politicians turn a blind eye lest they should end up annoying the voters. The authorities toe the line of their masters.
Madhu RD Singh, Ambala Cantt
Allot 50% of front area to farmers
Even vendors at kisan mandis are being looked after well. They are allotted the front portion as customers prefer to purchase from these rehriwalas at any rate, being nearer to parking. On the other hand, poor farmers who come from far away villages and do not form any vote bank in the city are allotted the rear portion of kisan mandis. Therefore, they are forced to sell their produce at half the rate to these vendors. The MC should allot 50 per cent of the front area to the farmers and register all vendors to generate revenue for development.
Col Balbir Singh Mathauda (retd), Chandigarh
Regulation of street vendors a necessity
Delaying the implementation of the Street Vendors Act is definitely another poll prank being played by the MC. Politicians play games, the public patronises it and the vicious circle of misappropriation and exploitation continues unabated. Regulation of street vendors through identification, rights and obligations, timings and working hours, awards and punishments is of dire necessity in modern times when competition is the buzzword. The MC should execute it immediately.
MPS Chadha, Mohali
Vote bank being created
Political parties in or outside the MC did not make any effort to get the Street Vendors Act, 2014, implemented well in time. The order by the MC not to issue challans or disturb them for 28 weeks leaves no doubt that another type of vote bank is being created. Since the order was passed, the number of vendors — stationary or mobile — has increased, creating nuisance and other problems for residents and destroying the basic fabric of the hard-earned status of City Beautiful. The order which has no financial implications should be reviewed by the UT Administration and status quo should be maintained so that no party derives political mileage out of it in the coming civic body elections. In the meantime, proper survey should be carried out to shortlist eligible vendors and a proper strategy formulated to settle them in a phased manner after the civic elections due in December.
AS Ahuja, Chandigarh
Flippant attitude of the MC
The inordinate delay in the implementation of the Street Vendors Act, 2014, has not been acclaimed by the elite of the city. Abrupt announcement to reveal magnanimity towards street vendors to resurrect their small business activity in the streets of the city freely for a limited period provides a glimpse of the flippant attitude of the Municipal Corporation. A detailed survey should have been undertaken since the enactment of the aforesaid Act in 2014 and eligible street vendors should have been allotted the designated area and licence for a particular type of activity. The special limited exemption to the street vendors during an election year is obviously a frivolous attempt by the MC to capture the vote bank.
Bhupinder S Sealopal, Mohali
Vendors are a traffic hazard
The decision of the MC not to remove or relocate vendors is politically motivated. A cluster of ice-cream vendors at roundabouts and fruit stalls on the roadside becomes a traffic hazard with customers parking their vehicles on the road, disrupting normal traffic. The space in front of eateries is occupied by placing tables and chairs, leaving no space for the public to move. The vendors should be regulated keeping in view road safety and public inconvenience.
Wg Cdr J S Bhalla (retd)
Ban street-vending culture
On visiting any corner of the city, one finds vendors all over. With each passing day, their number increases and the reason for this is unemployment among the local youth struggling to earn their bread. Most of the migrants who venture here in search of green pastures end up as street vendors. The government is required to give a serious thought to generating employment avenues. Restricting or regulating them on permit basis will need an inspector raj , thus encouraging corruption. The MC decision of free for all for the next 28 weeks is politically motivated to garner votes and this approach should be condemned. The need is to totally ban this street vending culture.
SS Arora, Mohali