‘Political intervention’ mars Patiala MC efforts to shift Sunday bazaar

Ravneet Singh

Patiala, May 21

‘Political intervention’ just before the upcoming municipal elections here has marred various activities being carried out by the civic body for the betterment of the city.

Recent visits by some local politicians to the Sunday market in the Chhoti Baradari area has disrupted the corporation’s efforts to shift it to a more suitable location in the city.

After the end of the tenure of the previous municipal councillors, the Municipal Corporation had started efforts to shift vendors at the bazaar to an appropriate location in the city in order to declutter the roads and market space at Chhoti Baradari every Sunday. The corporation had even earmarked private space adjacent to the Chhoti Baradari area for the vendors and had informed the vendors about it.

But weeks after a few local leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) visited the Sunday market, the Municipal Corporation has apparently shelved the plans to shift it.

A local AAP leader had said he had come to assure the vendors that they will not be inconvenienced by anyone.

While MC officials earlier gave regular updates about the initiative to shift the vendors, they are now tight-lipped despite repeated attempts to gather information.

A corporation employee said, “AAP leaders met senior officials and ensured that the being steps taken by the MC to shift the Sunday bazaar are put on halt. No one is ready to speak on the matter now. The plan seems to have been shelved.”

Residents of the Chhoti Baradari area said they have repeatedly complained to the corporation about the inconvenience caused by the Sunday bazaar. “The Sunday bazaar, which was earlier shifted here to declutter the Adalat bazaar area, causes a lot of inconvenience to the residents. Business owners in the area are much affected by it. Now as the corporation was about to shift the vendors from here, political intervention has hampered the process.”

Senior corporation officials remained unavailable for comments.