Chandigarh: Sector 22 Shastri Market traders protest over laying of paver blocks on road

Say paver blocks aren’t needed as the road is too narrow and, while work is going on, vehicles won’t be able to ply.

Traders of the Shastri Market in Sector 22 organised a protest in front of their market on Tuesday to stop municipal corporation (MC) workers from laying down paver blocks on the road in front of the market.

Traders, accompanied by Congress leader Pardeep Chhabra, holding a protest at Shashtri Market in Sector 22, Chandigarh, on Tuesday. (Keshav Singh/HT)

President of the Shastri Market Association Jaswinder Nagpal said, “Paver blocks aren’t needed here as the road is too narrow and, while the work is going on, vehicles won’t be able to ply here. We have a congested market, if an ambulance or fire tender is needed, it won’t be able to take a turn.”

A heavy police was deployed on the spot to avoid any untoward incident.

Local Congress president Pardeep Kumar Chhabra also reached the spot.

After negotiations with protesters, an understanding was reached that half of the area will be left as per the shopkeepers’ demand. Later, the protest was called off after paver blocks were installed on the curve to the satisfaction of shopkeepers.