Shimla MC cracks down on illegal street vendors

Municipal Corporation (MC) officials in Shimla removed eight unauthorised street vendors from various markets in the city today for selling goods without proper permissions. Six vendors were evicted from Lower Bazaar, while two were removed from Ram Bazaar.

During a routine inspection, the MC team identified several unauthorised vendors operating in Lower Bazaar, Ram Bazaar, and Lakkar Bazaar. Goods belonging to the vendors were confiscated.

Jyoti Prakash, Tehbazari Inspector, stated that many of these vendors are from states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh and Rajasthan. He added that their presence creates congestion in the markets, posing risks during emergencies like fires or medical situations.

The MC conducts weekly inspections every Sunday to address this issue. Additionally, the corporation is formulating a comprehensive street vendor policy to regulate vending activities in the city. Under the policy, vending and non-vending zones have been identified, and registered vendors will be allotted designated spaces marked with blue lines. Lower Bazaar has been declared a non-vending zone where no street vendors will be permitted. The move aims to decongest the city’s markets while ensuring better management of public spaces.