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Chandigarh: 4,003 street vendors lose their licences over pending dues
As per a 2016 survey, the city had 10,903 registered vendors, who were allotted vending sites for five years for a monthly licence fee. Only 3,595 had been paying their fees on a regular basis while 7,308 registered vendors owed the MC a whopping ₹75 crore till September 18, 2024. At least 2,352 vendors had not paid their fee even once.
The town vending committee of Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) on Monday scrapped the licences of 4,003 street vendors for failing to clear their pending dues.
The decision was taken during a meeting held under the chairmanship of the municipal commissioner Amit Kumar.
As per a 2016 survey, the city had 10,903 registered vendors, who were allotted vending sites for five years for a monthly licence fee. Only 3,595 had been paying their fees on a regular basis while 7,308 registered vendors owed the MC a whopping ₹75 crore till September 18, 2024. At least 2,352 vendors had not paid their fee even once.
With some vendors starting to pay their fees, the MC gave notices to the remaining 4,139 vendors, directing them to clear their dues in monthly installments within six months, starting January. The MC had also set a condition that missing even one month’s installment would lead to cancellation of their licence.
Those who lost their licences on Monday had faltered on the payment of the installments.
MC commission Amit Kumar said the panel has adopted a balanced approach – one that supports vendors’ livelihoods while maintaining the city’s cleanliness and order.
City councillors have been repeatedly raising concerns over mushrooming of illegal vending sites in city. Registered as well as unregistered vendors have been operating from unauthorised spaces across the city, occupying corridors, pavements, road berms and even parking lots. Not only this, unregistered vendors can be seen sitting in Sector 17 plaza, even when the sector has been declared a complete no-vending zone area. Sectors 1 to 6 and Sector-17 were declared no vending zones in 2019 and only the Essential Service Providers are permitted here.
