Gurgaon Sector 31 residents oppose resettlement of vendors in the area

Sector 31 residents have joined shop owners against a move that they say will endanger the sector’s green belt and the interests of the market.

Residents and shop owners of Sector 31 said they will not let rehriwalas (cart vendors) operate within the sector. The residents wrote to Haryana urban development authority (Huda) administrator Yashpal Yadav in this regard and said it was about protecting the sector’s roads, pavements and green belts.

The MCG has to follow the Supreme Court’s guidelines to relocate or resettle street vendors who operate in an unauthorised manner in and around populated areas, markets and roads. (HT File)

The letter comes in the backdrop of an attempt by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to relocate a vending cart zone to an area close to Sector 31’s markets — a move that shop owners and residents protested. The MCG has recently been thinking of relocating the city’s street vendors.

MC Yadav, general secretary, Sector 31 market association, said, “The rehris (carts) cannot be relocated in the green belt or close to the market, which has been around for years. The MCG destroyed the green belt to relocate cart vendors and we will not allow them in close proximity of the market. The MCG cannot allow a vending zone within 150-200 metres of the markets.”

Residents have also joined shop owners against a move that they say will endanger the sector’s green belt and the interests of the market.

Jitender Rustagi, general secretary, residents’ welfare association of Sector 31, said, “We met Vivek Kalia, joint commissioner of MCG, on March 7 and he assured us that the points we raised would be considered. But just three days ago, we noticed a truck unloading carts to relocate them in the sector’s green belt and we had a tough time removing them. Now, we have decided to meet the Huda administrator after MCG failed to fix the problem.

The MCG has to follow the Supreme Court’s guidelines to relocate or resettle street vendors who operate in an unauthorised manner in and around populated areas, markets and roads.

MCG commissioner V Umashankar said, “We will take lawful action, but no one has the right to throw street vendors out. We have to follow the Supreme Court’s guidelines to relocate them.”