Ludhiana: Janakpuri roadside vendors removed
Ganesh, a vendor in Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, said even with valid documents, we are harassed by officials; we need proper vending zones to avoid unnecessary fines and encroachments
Municipal Corporation (MC) officials conducted a drive to remove roadside vendors from the Janakpuri main market area on Thursday. Panic gripped the encroachers during the MC’s action. Street vendors, whose stalls were being removed, called local councillors from two wards to the spot.
BJP councillor Gauravjeet Gora and Aam Aadmi Party councillor Nikku Bharti arrived at the scene and talked to the MC inspectors to make them temporarily halt the operation. Still the anti-encroachment team seized a few vends.
BJP councillor Gauravjeet Gora emphasised that while the issue of encroachments in Janakpuri must be resolved, eliminating someone’s livelihood was not the right solution. He suggested that a solution could be found by holding a meeting with MLA Ashok Parashar Pappi and other market representatives to identify a space for the vendors.
At the same time, vendors said the civic body had failed to set up vending zones. Work on model vending zone project on Hambran Road, which was meant to provide space to vendors, remains stalled. Although an order was issued on September 21, 2022, the project, which was to be completed by June 30, 2023 under the Smart City Mission, has yet to see any progress.
The delay violates the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which mandates designated vending spaces. In a 2019 survey, the MC identified 21,725 street vendors and designated 64 vending zones, but none have been established.
Despite discussions in February 2023 at a town vending committee meeting, where officials proposed relocating vendors to 24 designated sites, no concrete action has been taken. Meanwhile, vendors are facing frequent eviction drives and fines.
Ramesh Gupta, a vendor from Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, said, “Authorities promised vending zones years ago, yet not a single one exists. They continue to remove our stalls and impose fine on us. The MC must act as per the 2014 Act.”
Ganesh, a vendor in Sarabha Nagar, said, “Even with valid documents, we are harassed by officials. We need proper vending zones to avoid unnecessary fines and encroachments.”
Vendors are demanding a new survey, as the last one was conducted five years ago. They say the lack of progress justifies a reassessment to ensure fair allocation of vending spaces.
Repeated attempts to contact Superintending Engineer Sanjay Kanwar for comments went unanswered.