MC-allotted sites lying vacant, vendors take over public places in Chandigarh

Sandeep Rana

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Chandigarh, June 2

For five years, most vending sites allotted by the Municipal Corporation have remained vacant, while registered as well as unregistered vendors have been operating from unauthorised spaces occupying corridors, pavements, road berms and even parking lots.

This leaves little space for visitors to walk in markets. It also causes traffic congestion at several places, especially in Sector 15, 19 and 22.

During a visit to the rear side of the Sector 19 market, vendors were seen operating from both sides of the road. They have been sitting right outside government houses with impunity, selling household items and making the lives of the house occupants difficult.

“A paranthawala sits right outside my house on the road berm and all sorts of people come there. They make a lot of noise and cause disturbance to our family. Despite repeated complaints to the MC, they have not been removed. Is this a smart city?” asked a Sector 19 resident, preferring anonymity.

Residents on the rear side of the Sector 22 market area near Shastri Market also feel inconvenienced for similar reasons. However, the authorities seem least bothered. Vendors were seen sitting and roaming in unauthorised spaces, especially in the evening. The mobile market also has a large number of vendors these days.

“Whenever the MC staff come, the vendors disappear. They later come back. This has been going on for a long time. The local police also have a responsibility in this regard, but they don’t seem to be bothered,” said Varinder Singh, a local resident. During a visit to the Sector 15 market, vendors were seen encroaching upon walkways and parking lots.

“The situation has been like this for years, but there was some hope after the Street Vendors Act was implemented in the city. However, it failed to yield the desired results,” said Tarsem Singh, a senior citizen from Sector 15.

Around 10,000 registered vendors, divided in three categories — street, essential and non-essential — were registered in a survey in 2016. They were allotted vending sites for five years and had to pay a monthly licence fee. However, contrary to the plan, most vendors did not shift to the permitted sites citing poor feasibility of the locations. Many continue to operate from unauthorised sites, making the Act purposeless.

Some alternative sites were later approved by the Administration, but the move turned futile as vendors have not shifted yet. To top it all, the Town Vending Committee, formed in 2016 for the implementation of the Act, has been lying defunct for over a year. The five-year tenure of the panel ended in March last year. Since then, it has not been constituted.

MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra said, “As far as new vending sites are concerned, they could not be allotted as the Town Vending Committee has not been constituted. Elections have been held and other departments have been requested to nominate their representatives so that the committee can start functioning.”

“We have designed a model street vending zone and shall be presenting the model to the Administration for approval next week. Once the new sites are allotted, the problem of registered vendors in unauthorised spaces shall be addressed to a large extent,” she said.

Purpose of Act defeated

Most vendors did not shift to the permitted sites citing poor feasibility of the locations. Many continue to operate from unauthorised sites, making the Street Vendors Act purposeless. Some alternative sites were later approved by the Administration, but the move turned futile as the vendors have not shifted yet.

Cause disturbance

A paranthawala sits right outside my house on the road berm and all sorts of people come there. They make a lot of noise and cause disturbance to our family. Despite repeated complaints to the MC, they have not been removed. Is this a smart city? — A Sector 19 resident