High drama at Chaura Bazaar as shopkeepers, vendors lock horns

High drama was witnessed at Chaura Bazaar on Tuesday after shopkeepers and street vendors had a showdown. A huge board bearing ‘I Love Chaura Bazaar’ was installed on Kotwali Road by the Municipal Corporation and to beautify the place around it, a few flowers pots and flower beds have been placed. Chaura Bazaar shopkeepers alleged that street vendors on Tuesday uprooted the plants, kept flower pots aside and stationed their carts there.

“Nobody can damage the board put up by a government department. Everyone is trying to beautify the place around the bazaar. Street vendors destroyed it all,” said Rubal Dhall, president of the Pink Plaza Market Association.

On the other hand, vendors said it was shopkeepers who were troubling them unnecessarily. “We have identity cards issued by the MC and are authorised to station our carts here and sell our goods but they prevent us from doing so. The board stating ‘I love Chaura Bazaar’ has been put up by Pink Plaza shopkeepers to prevent us from standing there,” said Raghbir Singh, from the Rehri Pheri Association.

Another vendor said not the MC but traders have issues when we sell goods from carts. “We too have the right to earn our livelihood and we are following rules. We have been issued identity cards by the MC which permit us to station our carts in the bazaar,” a vendor said.