Indian Express 15.04.2010
Encroachments keep pedestrians away from markets
Khushboo Sandhu Tags : encroachments Posted: Thursday , Apr 15, 2010 at 0323 hrs
Chandigarh: With the authorities turning a blind eye towards growing encroachments, corridors of most markets in various sectors of the city are abound with vendors selling different items from clothes to posters, leaving little space for people to walk.Choked corridors, lack of space to walk and a variety of goods on display — this is a common scene at markets across the city.
The market in Sector 22 is full of encroached lanes. The chaos tends to increase in the evening, when there is little space on the pavements meant for shoppers.
Similar is the scene at the Sector-17 market. Though a campaign was initiated to make the market encroachment free, it has failed to deter vendors from setting shops on public land.
Markets of most sectors, including 15, 19, 18, 34, 35, are full of encroachers who seem to function without any fear of checks or fines.
While the problem has persisted for years, there is little that the authorities have done to check the menace.
“There is a nexus between officials and encroachers. Vendors always have prior information of a raid by authorities and before the civic body officials reach the market, they are gone with their goods,” said councillor M P S Chawla.
Besides vendors, most shopkeepers illegally extend their shops and use public space to display more items than their shops can accommodate.
President of the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal (CBM) Diwaker Sahoonja, however, said the body did not support the practice of shopkeepers encroaching upon corridors. We have asked for permission to allow shopkeepers to display goods till an area of around one-and-a-half feet outside the shop. This would not block the corridors and give enough space for traders to display items. The authorities need to be strict with the vendors who are encroaching upon corridors. This causes inconvenience to shoppers visiting the market,” he said.
