BHOPAL: It's back to square one. The vendors driven out from New Market are back again encroaching upon roads, lanes and by-lanes of city’s busiest market.
Earlier, following the complaint of traders and shopkeepers, the district administration and Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) had driven out the vendors and hawkers from market and its periphery for the convenience of visitors during the festive season.
Shop keepers had launched a campaign to drive out vendors and hawkers occupying roads and lanes. The encroachments on pavements, access roads had led to congestion in the market making it difficult even for ambulance and fire-fighter tenders to move freely in case of any exigency. Vendors had extended their shops to the road limits causing inconvenience to the commuters
Citing livelihood, the street vendors had demanded the authorities to allot them a space on the periphery of market to run business and they had even agreed to pay for the space. However, the administration not only drove encroachers away but even seized their goods, which the vendors sternly objected.
New Market Traders Association general secretary Ajay Dewanani said that the hawkers and vendors are back again operating their business on pavements and access roads.
“It is big challenge as vendors have again captured the space in New Market. The traders and vendors have not reached any compromise of allowing the hawkers to run business outside their establishments. We are again demanding the administration to shift the vendors as they are hindering easy movement and causing congestion,” said Dewanani.
We are demanding no-vehicle and no-vendors zone in New Market, said Dewanani. We have controlled the entry of vehicles but we are still urging the administration to clear all encroachments as we are paying GST and other taxes but not getting much business in New Market, he added.
