Ghaziabad: Weekly markets to stay, but behind a yellow line

Municipal officials who attended the meeting said the civic body took four key decisions, which included directions to vendors to register themselves at the respective zonal offices, and that weekly markets will not be allowed to operate beyond a line marked on the roadside

The Ghaziabad municipal corporation held a meeting of the town vending committee on Thursday with an aim to end the standoff between vendors and Ghaziabad police who had ordered the shifting of weekly markets away from roadsides with an aim to end congestion caused by hawkers and shoppers.

Till the time an alternative place is identified, the weekly markets will be held at their respective spots and officials will comply with the directions given by state officials (the chief secretary, said municipal officials. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Municipal officials who attended the meeting said the civic body took four key decisions, which included directions to vendors to register themselves at the respective zonal offices, and that weekly markets will not be allowed to operate beyond a line marked on the roadside.

Besides members of the town vending committee, the meeting was attended by officials from the municipal corporation, district administration, NCR cell, fire department and traffic police.

It was decided that a new town vending committee will be formed in next 15 days to take up future course of action as the current committee was formed in 2017.

“A work plan has been prepared by the town vending committee. Till the time an alternative place is identified, the weekly markets will be held at their respective spots and officials will comply with the directions given by state officials (the chief secretary). The markets will be organised on the roadsides and not on the road. A boundary will be marked on roads with a yellow line, and vendors will not operate beyond that,” said Vikramaditya Malik, municipal commissioner, who chaired the town-vending committee meeting.

“Vendors have been directed to register at their respective zonal municipal offices from where they will be issued identification cards and a nominal user charge will also be levied in the future,” Malik said.

Deputy commissioner of police, city, Rajesh Kumar said he was not aware of the meeting. Ziauddin Ahmad, assistant commissioner of police, traffic, did not respond to calls seeking his comment on the developments.

Municipal officials said the corporation’s jurisdictional area, which is primarily the urban area, has 65 weekly markets at least and they are held on different days of the week in different areas.

Officials said the Vasundhara zone as 25 such markets, Kavi Nagar 15, Mohan Nagar eight, Vijay Nagar seven and the city zone 11 markets.

The stand-off between vendors and police started earlier in February after the police directed the relocation of weekly markets away from roads, citing traffic congestion.

The move evoked sharp criticism and protests from vendors across the district, and Loni’s Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar openly supported the vendors in their protest in Loni, Ghaziabad city and Indirapuram.

Last Saturday, the corporation stepped in after directions were given by chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh who had visited Ghaziabad on February 8.

Singh said the vendors could resume working at their current spots until a town vending committee takes a decision, and the police “need not take any direct action nor do they have the right”.