Aminabad anti-encroachment drive: Street vendors resist being moved to vending zones

Street vendors are resisting the plan of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) to shift them to vending zones

Street vendors are resisting the plan of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) to shift them to vending zones. Aminabad street vendors surrounded LMC officials on Wednesday but when the officials threatened to lodge FIRs against them, the vendors fell in line.

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The enforcement squad of the LMC reached to streamline street vendors in Aminabad area on Wednesday. More than 200 street vendors began protesting when they were asked to go inside the vending zones as their stalls were encroaching on a major part of the road. “Already 90% of Aminabad roads are encroached and no one can think of driving a car here,” said corporator of the area, Shafiqur Rehman ‘Chacha’.

He said, “Everyone wants to encroach on a part of the road to set up a vending stall. Because of street vendors, local shopkeepers have also expanded their shops onto the road.”

The street vendors surrounded LMC officials to stop the action. But the corporation officials did not back down and instead warned them of lodging FIRs against them, forcing the vendors to follow the directives.

Municipal commissioner Ajay Dwivedi said, “Encroachment in Aminabad has made even walking difficult. On Wednesday, the LMC squad reached to remove vendors who had put up stalls on the road. The street vendors have had their way till now because of our empathy towards them but now they are taking undue advantage of it. If authorities think of them then they should respect the mandate of the people too who want space to move around in the area.”

Zonal officer Rajesh Singh said that he will not make concessions this time. Encroachments on the drain were broken at 16 places. Six street vendors were even fined and an amount of ₹10,000 was realised from them.