Open House: What steps should the MC take to check illegal vending and encroachments in festive season?

Erect road fencing, carry out checks

The festive season brings happiness to residents and also boosts the market economy. Now, the concern in all cities is illegal vendors, we can call them street vendors as they are not listed among government entities and don't pay any tax. They cover the majority of public road area during this season and open their shops. Some encroach upon the pavement and public parks which create problems for local residents and increases traffic congestion which automatically becomes the cause of noise and air pollution. Municipal Corporations should bring in some laws that are in line with government policies like the National Association of Street Vendors of India, and make sure that it would not impact their livelihood. The local government should erect fencing on the road for those particular days during the festival season so that one side is for the small shops and the other for vehicles. Besides, the municipal corporations should give them identity cards and impose punishment or penalties on those who violate the rules. Moreover, municipal corporations should provide proper waste management equipment to food vendors so that they maintain cleanliness. Last but not least, local authorities and police should inspect the area on a regular basis.

Bharti Thakur

Adopt compassionate, humane approach

The Municipal Corporation (MC) has failed to address the issue of encroachment by illegal vendors, especially during the festival season. This is a serious issue that requires a compassionate humane approach. The city residents are patrons of these vendors, who are just trying to earn a living. If there is no demand from people, these vendors will automatically disappear. To address this issue, the MC administration should register and relocate them to certain specific designated places or lay-bys that do not obstruct pedestrian walkways and traffic flow, ensuring that their business can thrive. It is important to keep track of migrant vendors as well. Additional police personnel should be deployed to curb this menace, especially in the evenings. Displaced vendors, if any, should be supported through skill development and financial assistance. Forming a vendors' association to establish an organised system with amenities offering alternative livelihoods can promote cooperation and reduce resistance. Charging a nominal licence fee and issuing ID cards would allow the MC authorities to regulate these vendors and generate revenue. Additionally, strict penalties should be imposed on vendors operating without a proper licence. It is essential to hold MC officials and some area councillors accountable for addressing encroachments, as no vendor dares to encroach without their patronage. Regular inspections as well as surveillance through drones and CCTV cameras are necessary, and confiscating materials from non-compliant vendors can send a clear message about the MC's stance on encroachments. It is also vital to identify and curb corrupt practices like daily or weekly extortion from these vendors.

Kulwant Singh Phull

Impose fine, seize articles & goods

In order to check illegal vending and remove encroachments, the Municipal Corporation should first take the step of imposing a huge fine on offenders. Secondly, they should take custody of articles being sold by illegal vendors. Lastly, the most important step the Municipal Corporation should take is to permanently shut down the business of such illegal vendors, so that in future no inconvenience is caused.

Sanjay Chawla

Allocate temporary areas with parking

In a democratic set-up, every citizen has the fundamental right to earn his bread and butter. In the festival season, the small vendors have the opportunity to increase their sales and earn for future and celebrate the festival season with pomp and show. The number of small vendors for selling items like diyas and candles will increase manifold, and most of the vendors will operate from pavements and parking areas in cities. The reason for this is that the administration fails to allocate a temporary area where there is ample space for parking and these small vendors can open temporary shops to sell their items for the festival season. The administration should open and allow temporary parking at a number of places which are lying vacant for a fortnight like the PUDA area near Milap Chowk and demolition building of Kachari near Jyoti Chowk, which is lying vacant. PUDA should charge parking fees for a fortnight because people in the city do a lot of shopping during the festival season. This can prove to be a big success and the pressure of small vendors' shops on pavements and parking areas can be a thing of the past if the administration allocates them for a fortnight. The biggest problem is the decreasing width of roads and increasing traffic due to the rise in number of two-wheelers and four-wheelers. There is another formula of adopting a few roads as one-way passage during the festival season so that traffic can run smoothly. The expanding of the metropolitan cities has paved way for residents of new localities to make festival purchases from their areas which have been developed recently. Similarly, if this happens, the internal roads of the city can be relieved of heavy rush and traffic jams. The administration can also apply a formula that in the internal areas, even e-rickshaws should not be allowed and people should go for shopping and purchase on foot for a fortnight to avoid heavy rush in the bazaars.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Provide safe, legal platform to vendors

Street encroachments have become a big issue as the festive season is around the corner. People are starting to set up booths on the streets to sell various items like lamps, lights, crackers and decoration pieces as these objects are in high demand for Dussehra and Diwali. This, however, will cause so much inconvenience to pedestrians and people in general as the streets will be hard to cross, and crowds will overwhelm and disrupt the peace of the city. This can also get a whole lot worse as accidents can be fatal and riskier for anyone who is buying something at the booths or just even passing by which poses a huge risk to the safety and security of the people. The authorities can take some easy steps to prevent such situations. The government should set up a humongous fest/fair in an area that is easily accessible to people and to all the poor and hardworking vendors to provide a safe and legal platform for them to sell their products and make a living. This could solve countless problems such as no more safety at risk on the streets. There will be no more booths on the road and no more robbing of innocent vendors by the wealthy shop owners. The people who own a shop right in front of the street tend to rent the part of the street in front of their shops to the poverty-stricken seller at hefty prices illegally, providing a passive source of income to the shop owners in private and for no actual work. In addition to this, they tend to hide all this money in their own pockets and save on taxes, also committing tax fraud. The common ground method eliminates all these issues. Lastly, the below-poverty-line vendors should be funded and guided by the administration to understand the risk and lead in the right direction. This can completely assimilate literacy amongst the poor and they can understand the actual harms of opening a shop on the street.

Lakshit Jindal

Lax attitude adds to the problem

As the festive season unfolds, markets across cities transform into bustling hubs of activity. From just concluded Navratri and Durga Puja to the grand celebration of Diwali, people from all walks of life flock to markets to purchase household items, decoration pieces, clothes and gifts etc. However, the surge in footfall during festivals is often accompanied by an unwelcome sight-the rampant rise in temporary encroachments in the city markets. While the shopkeepers extend their stalls beyond the permissible limits, some vendors illegally encroach upon pavements, roadsides and even parking areas, which causes a ripple effect on obstacles, both for commuters and the general public, as well. As such, even the well organised markets quickly devolve into overcrowded places abuzz with visitors, where accidents and altercations are common. In addition to chaotic traffic scenes due to illegal encroachments, it brings a host of health hazards and safety concerns during the festive season. Ironically, many vendors operate without proper permits or hygiene standards, which results in the sale of substandard or even harmful products such as spurious sweets and crackers. These adulterated food items and unsafe firecrackers lead to accidents, fires and outbreak of health hazards. Although, the primary responsibility of addressing the issue of illegal encroachments by vendors lies with the municipal and law enforcement authorities, yet due to lax attitude among festivities many untoward happenings and inconveniences are caused to the general public. To mitigate the problem, civic authorities must implement several key measures holistically like designating specific areas in open near the markets to avoid illegal encroachments on road pavements and parking lots. Alongside, enforcement of rules strictly and forewarning the vendors of fines/penalties will act as deterrents to illegal encroachments. Further, CCTV surveillance of market hotspots and key public spaces by the authorities can help monitor the situation in real-time, so as to take immediate action against those violating the regulations. Nevertheless, sensitising the public to follow traffic advisories and educating the vendors about ill-effects of encroachments for business is vital to encourage a more responsible approach during such occasions. In fact, a striking balance between commerce and public order will render the festive spirit truly enjoyable by all.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Allot suitable site for street vendors

The festival season has set in and the people are fully prepared to celebrate it in many ways. One of them is going on a shopping spree to buy all types of goods. shopkeepers and vendors also get excited to make extra efforts to maximise their sales. The markets get choked in view of regular shopkeepers extending their shops outwardly and extra rush of festival buyers. Vendors set up their stalls by encroaching on places meant for public use. Overall, the shopping experience turns into a nightmare. To overcome this problem, the administration should allot a separate suitable site, a little away from the crowded places, where the interested vendors may put up their stalls by paying a nominal fee to enable the prospective buyers to enjoy hassle-free shopping. Such temporary shelters may be provided with all basic amenities for public use. Meanwhile, the administration should strictly enforce the traffic rules, especially during the festival season and take all preventive measures to stop unauthorised use of public land and illegal encroachments anywhere in the city.

Jagdish Chander

No encroachment on civic body land

Municipal Corporations are chosen after five years to do vital jobs like constructing and maintaining streets, roads and bridges. It has boundary marks, markets (including separate and suitable places for vending vegetables), and slaughterhouses. It is seen during the festival season that some people try to occupy the MC land with the help of councillors to sell eatables or other items. They do not leave the place after the festivals are over. Some occupy that place forever. Illegal vending creates disturbance for vehicles and pedestrians in the streets. Sometimes, mishaps also happen. The municipal corporations should be alert to stop illegal vending or shops that are constructed on the MC land or property.

Sucha Singh Sagar

Implement Street Vendors Act

With the onset of festival season, many vendors put up their stalls on roads and pavements in the bazaar and even on green belts in colonies and start selling goods. They simply say that nobody will check them. It is the duty of the Municipal Corporation to check such encroachments. However, when someone gives an application to the MC for action on these illegal vendors, no one listens. Such applications are lying in the dustbin at the MC office. Another issue here is not proper demarcation of roads and alongside pedestal sites. Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 gives the right to all vendors to have stalls in allocated sites and secure livelihoods but whether the exact locations have been defined by MC officials is the question. Unfortunately, only a few states have implemented this Act. Hence, vendors put up stalls in a haphazard manner and nobody stops them. It is time that this Act is presented during the Assembly session and a proper discussion on it takes place to assess its pros and cons. The Act should then accordingly be implemented in Punjab. Once proper demarcation of sites for vendors is done, the issue can be resolved.

Harvinder Singh Chugh

QUESTION FOR NEXT WEEK

Whenever there is VIP movement in the city, commuters often face significant traffic jams, leading to inconvenience. How can the police address this issue while ensuring that the security of the dignitary is not compromised?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (October 24)