New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said weekly markets in Delhi would be transformed as places of tourist attraction once the Covid-19 pandemic subsides.
Speaking at a meeting with representatives of weekly markets, Kejriwal said, “The environment is such that street-hawkers are often considered as a problem if they operate on the roadside. Street vendors operate in many developed nations such as the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. We will develop a system for setting up weekly markets so that tourists from countries like the US visit our weekly markets. Our weekly markets will be presented as one of the most attractive tourist places in Delhi,” he said.
Kejriwal held the meeting to take feedback on how weekly markets are operating after the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on August 21 allowed them to operate for a week on a trial basis.
The chief minister said the Delhi government will soon create a proper management system so that more and more people are attracted to the city’s weekly markets. He took the example of Chandni Chowk, which has been redeveloped to make it more pedestrian-friendly and prohibit motor vehicles on a 1.5-km stretch.
“We have some restrictions on us now because of Corona, but we will do this as soon as the situation settles down a little. I also realise that a lot of you are going through a difficult phase, but we have to support each other in this phase,” he said.
Kejriwal requested the associations to maintain social distancing in the markets. “If you fail to do that, government officials might pressure you or take action against you, and this will affect your customer strength. Please appoint your volunteers with the heads of weekly markets for maintaining social distancing in the markets,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Kejriwal requested the associations to maintain social distancing in the markets. “If you fail to do that, government officials might pressure you or take action against you, and this will affect your customer strength. Please appoint your volunteers with the heads of weekly markets for maintaining social distancing in the markets,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister said public opinion is very important for businesses, and if the public starts complaining about no social distancing in the markets, it will pose a problem in the future.
“This is also important so that the opening of markets on a trial basis is soon converted into a permanent plan by the lieutenant-governor (LG), and I will be able to advocate for the permanent opening of all weekly markets in Delhi. We have many plans for operating weekly markets in the city,” Kejriwal said.