MC drive flops as illegal street vendors return to Chandigarh’s Sector 22 market
The vendors now come late in the evening to sell their products as police and municipal corporation (MC) personnel are not present at that time
Despite the municipal corporation (MC) clearing illegal vendors from the Shastri Market in Sector 22, they are seen selling their products in baskets with some even setting up stalls during evening hours within the market corridor.
These vendors then spend the night at the Sector 22D block near Kiran Cinema.
As per Yogesh Soni, who owns a shop at the market, said it was about four days back that the vendors started venturing into the markets again.
Another shopkeeper, who wished to remain anonymous, recorded a video (a copy of which is with the Hindustan Times) that showed vendors selling socks, blankets and key chains in the market around 8pm on Saturday. They were holding their products in baskets and kept the rest of the items in vehicles parked nearby. Customers were seen negotiating the rates and exchanging money in return for the items.
The vendors now come late in the evening to sell their products as police and municipal corporation (MC) personnel are not present at that time, the shopkeeper said.
President of the Sector 22 Resident Welfare Association (RWA), Rajinder Mohan Kashyap, said, “It is unfortunate that vendors have started reclaiming the sector despite a police beat box right next to the market.”
The Chandigarh Beopar Mandal has also taken notice of the issue. Its chairman Charanjiv Singh said, “We received a copy of the video and have forwarded it to the MC authorities for them to take immediate action against these vendors.”
Local area councillor of Sector 22, Ravikant Sharma, said, “Only now have I got to know about this. I will take up this matter on Monday.”
Chandigarh MC commissioner KK Yadav said authorities are keeping vigil on illegal vendors, adding that he too will keep a tab on the situation.
UT senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nilambari Jagdale had earlier, sent a letter to all station house officers (SHOs) stating that vendors have started coming back. “The MC has constituted 12 enforcement teams to keep a check on illegal vendors. All SHOs have been directed to cooperate whenever the teams require police assistance,” the letter read.
The road survey report of the traffic police given earlier to the MC had also highlighted that illegal vendors selling helmets and cigarettes were present on various roads in Sectors 32, 33, 45 and 46, posing a risk to movement of traffic.
