Chandigarh MC to bring in vigil squad to rein in encroachments after dark

For the first time, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) will set up a dedicated night vigil squad to crackdown on illegal vendors and encroachments that mushroom across the city after dark. The decision was taken after the issue of nighttime encroachments, with vendors occupying intersections, market corridors, and even parking areas well past the official enforcement hours, was flagged during a recent General House meeting of the MC.

Though municipal commissioner Amit Kumar had initially extended the enforcement duty hours from 7 pm to 8 pm, and then further extended them up to 10 pm, enforcement teams have struggled to contain the surge of illegal vending activities across the city after the duty hours.

BJP councillor Saurabh Joshi, while raising the issue in the House meeting, said, “Encroachments continue to grow unabated in Chandigarh’s markets during both morning and evening hours, with commercial hubs like Sectors 15, 17, 19, 22 and 35 being the worst affected. Public footpaths and open spaces are illegally taken over by shopkeepers and illegal vendors, causing significant inconvenience to pedestrians and shoppers. Besides, even parking lots are encroached upon by commercial vehicles which sell food and other products. Vendors station their vehicles inside lots, and due to the police and enforcement staff nexus, they face no penalties. The nexus is running deep in the MC’s enforcement wing, while vendors and encroachers are running smooth businesses.”

To address this persistent issue, the MC has now devised a new plan — rationalising existing manpower to form a dedicated night squad that will operate across various sectors of the city.

“This squad will be active throughout the city during nighttime. It will be tasked not only with keeping illegal vendors in check but also with monitoring other violations, such as garbage dumping at unauthorised spots, unattended cattle roaming on roads, and commercial encroachments by shop owners and vehicles,” said Kumar.

Currently, the MC’s enforcement wing is severely short-staffed, with just two inspectors and 11 sub-inspectors managing two entire zones. “To bolster operations, we have decided to increase the strength of the enforcement staff, aiming to at least double the existing workforce,” Kumar added.

The MC officialssaid the new plan is expected to be rolled out soon, with inter-departmental coordination and restructuring of enforcement schedules already underway. The corporation has already started surprise inspections to ensure that habitual violators are booked and repeat offences curbed.