Double standards in checking encroachments?

Sandeep Rana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 18

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation’s double standards in carrying out encroachment drives stand exposed.

Going against the bylaws for street vendors, the Municipal Corporation is challaning poor unregistered vendors with a whopping fine of Rs 10,000 and auctioning their seized goods. In the case of encroachments in corridors outside showrooms/shops in the city, the corporation is conveniently releasing their goods after a challan of meagre Rs 2,000. As a result, the practice of massive encroachment outside shops has not been stopped.

The challan of Rs 10,000 with no goods return policy against the unauthorised vendors has acted as a deterrent. About 2,250 such vendors who were challaned failed to deposit the amount and recover their items. Most of them believed to have left the trade while some have started keeping lesser number of items for sale at a time. They are often found sitting in parking lots, pavements and roadsides.

On the other hand, shopkeepers are vending goods or services in front of their shops blatantly with no visible fear of law in most of the sectors. Sectors 15, 32, 34, 35, 17, 18, 19, 22 and 26 have maximum encroachments outside shops and showrooms.

“Contrary to the provision, the corporation is seemingly turning a blind to the menace and is literally giving a free hand to them. As compared to what they earn, a fine of Rs 2,000 is a meagre amount for them and they do not mind doing formality of paying this much amount once in a while when any special encroachment drive is carried out,” said Ravish Kumar, a resident of Sector 22.

“It is actually the shopkeepers who encourage vendors for encroachment. Till the time we do not stop shopkeepers from doing so, the problem will not end,” said RK Garg, a city-based RTI activist and president of the Second Innings Association, a senior citizen’s body.

Sources said after the civic body decided to challan shopkeepers as per the bylaws, a delegation of the traders met a senior official in the Administration and the move was called off.

Mayor Rajesh Kalia said: “It should not happen. I will talk to the Commissioner regarding this. We will set things right.”

MC Commissioner KK Yadav said: “This was decided by the MC House. There was also a representation from the Vyapar Mandal in this regard.”