Call to regulate weekly markets in north Delhi to curb revenue loss

Weekly markets should be regulated and dedicated vending zones identified to curb revenue loss due to ‘illegal’ stalls put up at these places, north corporation councillors said at a standing committee on Wednesday.

The councillors said there are at least 3,400 weekly markets in north Delhi and most vendors put up stalls without getting them registered with the civic agency.

The issue was raised during a meeting called to discuss budget proposals presented by the north corporation commissioner for the financial year 2019-20.

Leader of house Tilak Raj Kataria said, “I got a survey done at some municipal wards two months back and found complete mismanagement. There is no check on the number of vendors participating in these weekly markets. It is causing a loss of Rs 5.5 crore to the civic agency every month.”

Naveen Tyagi, BJP councillor from Dhirpur, said these markets are organised on municipal land but officials do not identify illegal vendors. “In my ward I observed slips are issued to only 100 or 200 vendors, while thousands put up stalls. So where is the money collected from illegal vendors going?.”

The councillors asked why vending zones were not identified even though election to vending committees were conducted four months back.

Avtar Singh, councillor from Civil Lines, said, “Unregulated weekly markets are causing complete chaos in neighbourhoods and restricting the movement of traffic.”

To regulate the markets, councillors recommended an end to the ‘slip system’, introduction of smart cards to registered vendors and charging fees annually.

Standing committee chairperson Veena Virmani said: “I have taken note of the points raised by the councillors and will discuss them. Action would be taken and if required, we will add them in our budget proposals,” she said.

Facing an acute financial crisis, the north corporation urged Virmani to ask the south corporation commissioner to pay pending dues.

The north MCD says it is the rightful owner of the 28-storey Civic Centre and SDMC is a tenant. It said the south corporation owes more than Rs 1,400 crore towards rent and licensing fee due since 2012.

“An amount of Rs 1,400 crore is pending as rent from May 2012. Despite several notices to the commissioner of south MCD to clear dues, nothing happened. Besides, the agency has not paid up for using our landfill (Bhalswa) for dumping garbage till 2017,” said Vikas Goel, Aam Aadmi Party councillor from Wazirpur.

A senior south corporation official said, “There was no agreement to pay any rent to north corporation. Both agencies have equal ownership rights at the building.”

“Also, we had paid Rs 10 crore to North Corporation last year for using its landfill,” said South Corporation official.