MC fails to set up vending zones, vendors bear brunt

Tribune News Service

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, June 29

The Municipal Corporation’s (MC) failure to provide designated street vending zones has put the lives of the street vendors in a fix as they can be dislocated at any time, which affects their livelihood.

Recently, street vendors were removed from Janakpuri area by the MC as carts on roads lead to traffic congestions.

Although the Department of Local Government, Punjab, had notified MC’s plan to set up 64 vending zones for 8,989 vendors in December 2020, but not even a single vending zone has been set up by the civic body till now. In all, 21,725 street vendors were identified during a survey seven years ago.

The demand of the street vendors to allocate designated vending zones in the city remains unheard till date and the MC has failed to take any definitive action to ensure the enforcement of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, in the city in the right manner so far.

Tiger Singh, president, Rehri Phari Federation, Ludhiana, said they have been demanding designated vending zones since long so that it does not create any problem for anyone and they also run their business smoothly.

“It is the failure of the MC to set up vending zones although 64 have been already approved. We are forced to bear the brunt and suffer,” he added.

A street vendor in Zone D said he has all the required documents and a licence issued by the authorities but still his cart is often removed on the pretext of creating traffic hindrance.

“We have been asking the MC to provide vending zones but it has failed to do so. When we station our carts on the road, it is removed by the authorities. Now, we fail to understand what to do,” he said.

Another member of the union further added that the MC should ensure setting up of vending zones and prioritise the protection of street vendors’ rights and ensure they are not subjected to harassment.

MC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi said, “Although vending zones have been approved but these have not been constructed and allotted. Keeping in view the traffic issues, we are working on this project but facing the issues of funds, which is also expected to work out in the coming future,” he said.

He added that GLADA approved two colonies at Vardhman and Dugri have the facility of vending zones, MC is also working on the proposal to use these.

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