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Illegal entry of street vendors continues to crowd Ludhiana’s vegetable market
On April 25, police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the swelling crowd
Even though the threat of a Covid-19 outbreak looms large over the vegetable market near Jalandhar Bypass, there seems to be no end to crowding in the area despite deployment of police at the entry point.
On Saturday, a huge crowd was witnessed inside the mandi, prompting police to drive them away with lathi charge.
Besides authorised vegetable vendors, the gathering comprised street vendors and staff of commission agents. Some street vendors scaled the boundary wall to avoid the police at the entry gate, while several others entered the market with the enlisted vendors.
Basti Jodhewal station house officer (SHO) Pramod Kumar said he had received information about the ruckus in the market, following which he led a team to the market and police used lathi charge to disperse the street vendors.
In the wake of the Covid threat, the administration had closed the vegetable market for four days from March 31 and restricted its operations to three days a week thereon. Amid the curfew, only enlisted vendors can enter the market for supplying veggies and fruits to street vendors at ward level.
Earlier this month, district mandi officer (DMO) Jasbir Kaur had tested positive for the virus, and deceased ACP Anil Kumar Kohli is also suspected to have contracted the infection while he was deputed at the vegetable market. His contacts - his gunman; sub-inspector Arshpreet Kaur and her driver ASI Sukhdev Singh were also found positive. Last week, DMO’s daughter and son-in-law were confirmed infected.
POLICE ACCUSED OF MANHANDLING
Commission agent Lucky Galhotra accused SHO Kumar of beating up workers and illegally grabbing fruits worth Rs 7,000 while they were unloading produce in the market on Saturday. The SHO on the other hand refuted the allegations, stating the workers were illegally selling fruits to street vendors. The produce was later returned to the vendors, he claimed.
‘ALTERNATE DAY OPERATIONS CAUSING CROWDING’
Chairman of the market committee, Darshan Lal Baweja said currently the mandi was operating only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to ensure social distancing. However, whenever the market reopened on alternate days, bigger crowds visited it, defeating the purpose of the move.
He said he will urge the deputy commissioner to open the market for at least six days a week, and ban the entry of street vendors.
