Poor sales worry shifted vendors

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 14

Hansraj had been selling handkerchiefs and women’s garments in Sector 22 here since 1975. He was shifted to Sector 15 following a draw of lots by the local authorities last week.

This has brought his income down to minimal. At this phase of his life when his daughters are of a marriageable age, he is finding it hard to run his house. He has now shifted to Zirakpur as he is not able to afford house rent in Chandigarh. Additionally, transporting his garments from his house to Sector 15 in an auto-rickshaw has increased his cost.

Like him, there are several vendors in different sites allotted by the Municipal Corporation recently. They used to earn enough to make their both ends meet when they were working from Sectors 17, 19 or 22, but after being shifted to Sector 15 or other far-off sites, especially Southern areas comprising Sectors 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 56, they have been hit hard.

Taranjot Singh, who has been selling rags in Sector 22 for several years, said: “I have been given new space in Sector 15, but I have not started working here. I am going to look for some other option. I am also waiting for Sector 22 vendors’ petition pending in the Supreme Court. The authorities are saying there will be business in future here, but how will we make both ends meet till then? This month, I cannot pay my house rent in Sector 40. How will I say no to my house owner next month? I am worried for my family.”

One of the vendors in Sector 15 said: “Earlier when we were vending in the market areas, we used to find shelter in corridors during rains. Sector 15 is an open area. Where do we go now? We had tough time during the rain in the past two days here. There is no arrangement to drain out rainwater.”

Pawan, who was shifted to Sector 48, said: “I was earlier vending in Sector 22 for the past 25 years. I am not going to shift to Sector 48 like other vendors as there are no customers there.”

Dalip Singh, another vendor shifted to Sector 15, said: “The 6’5 space given to vendors is small. We do not think it is even of that size. I had to get shorten the stand to hang ‘pyjamas’ I sell here. We cannot manage in such a small space. It should be increased. Basic facilities such as public toilets should be enhanced. There are only two pots for about 800 people here. A moving toilet van was there earlier, but it has been missing now.”

Dalip rued: “Fish-sellers have been made to sit along those selling clothes in Sector 15. There should be trade-wise sitting arrangements.”

In a random visit to a vending site in Sector 7, where vendors from Sector 1-6 were shifted, some vendors were spotted sitting there. Similar was the scene in the Southern sites.

“We used to sit near Sukhna Lake and Rock Garden where we had good sale due to huge flow of tourists. How can we compare that area with this rear side of Sector 7? There is hardly any customer and we are not able to earn even 25 per cent of what we were earning at the previous sites. We hope business improves here in the coming days or we will have to explore other options as we cannot run our families. How will be able to pay the monthly licence fee to the MC?” said a vendor in Sector 7.

In the MC General House meeting held yesterday, councillors also demanded that the vendors be given areas near to their previous workplace or residence or they be allowed to work at the same sites. They also demanded facilities for them.