E-Paper
Ludhiana MC to finally start process to set up vending zones
Under the first phase of the project, 20 vending zones will be established in the areas under Zones A, C and D of Ludhiana MC
The municipal corporation (MC) has finally decided to initiate the process of setting up designated vending zones in the city.
Under the first phase of the project, 20 vending zones will be established in the areas under Zones A, C and D. The process to finalise sites in Zone B is still underway.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the town vending committee (TVC) held under the chairmanship of MC commissioner Shena Aggarwal on Wednesday. The chosen sites include the vacant area under Lakkar bridge; the road leading from civil hospital to Issa Nagri puli; near Haibowal dairy complex and under GIll Road flyover near Dhuri Line.
MC has invited applications from registered street vendors who wish to get a slot in these vending zones and asked them submit it by June 30.
Officials stated that the sites will be allotted soon after applications are received. If the number of applicants exceeds the capacity of the vending zone, draw of lots will be conducted.
The project has been hanging fire for over eight years now, even as the local bodies department had in 2020 notified 64 vending zones in the city.
Aggarwal stated that there are many other sites where vending zones can be established, but MC needs to take NOCs from different departments in including LIT and GLADA as those areas fall under their jurisdiction.
In the absence of designated zones, street vendors set up their establishments on roadsides, resulting in traffic jams.
MC officials, vendors lock horns over anti-encroachments drives:
During the meeting, a heated argument broke out between MC officials and the members of the vendors’ association over the anti-encroachment drives being conducted by MC.
Councillor Baljinder Bunty also slammed vendors for disturbing the movement of traffic, while president of the Ludhiana Rehri Fadi Association, Tiger Singh, said that the MC should not remove the vendors from roadsides till designated zones are established.
The MC officials and councillors retorted by saying that the drive is organised against those vendors who create traffic bottlenecks and that it will continue.
Meanwhile, Singh stated that the MC has been conducting meetings to set-up vending zones for a log time, but no concrete steps are taken at ground level which leads to harassment for them.
