Near yet so far as no bus connectivity

Ramkrishan Upadhyay
Tribune news service 
Chandigarh, February 3

Chaos in the parking area, illegal vendors and frequent blockage of sewerage are some of the problems being faced by traders of the Sector 32 market. 

Though the market has been developing fast, the Municipal Corporation and the Administration have failed to create provision for basic facilities. 

Rajinder Mehndiratta, president of the Market Welfare Association, said the MC had allotted space in front of showrooms to vendors. He says shifting more vendors to the market will add to the chaos. 

Another shopkeeper said there would be no place left for visitors if more vendors are shifted to the market.

Pawan Aggarwal, a trader, said there is no connectivity to market through buses. While the market is situated near the GMCH, bus connectivity to bus stand or railway station has not been taken care of. 

Jagdeep Mahajan, president, Booth Welfare Association, said the condition of toilets was bad. There is only one toilet for the whole market and it lacks maintainance. He said the market was facing problem of parking. The small rotary in front of the market caused traffic jam. 

The market association has taken up the issue with the Administration to install lights at the rotary, but to no avail. 

Another trader Anil Mahajan said in the absence of the marking of lines for two-wheelers and four-wheelers in the parking area, chaos was an everyday problem. He said with no help from the Municipal Corporation, traders were a harried lot.

Trader Pawan Aggarwal says street lights are not functioning properly and the sanitation condition was also poor.

Another trader said the increasing numbers of eating joints are throwing waste in sewerage line, causing frequent blockage.

Trader Ashwini Khanna said the MC has not been making the payments for the maintainance of toilets for months. He said on the one hand, the MC is focusing on Swachha Bharat, they have not released funds for maintaining toilets on the other. 

Traderspeak

"In the absence of proper marking for vehicles, parking pangs are giving a tough time to traders in the market. The MC has failed to release funds for the maintenance of toilet." Ashwini Khanna 

"Street lights are not functioning properly in the market. While the market is situated near the GMCH, there are no provisions for connectivity to the bus stand or the railway station." Pawan Kumar Aggarwal 

"The parking  witnesses chaos everyday. Several vendors in the market occupy a huge chunk of parking space. The toilet in the market is also in a bad condition." Jagdeep Mahajan 

"Shifting more vendors to the market will add to the prevalent chaos when parking is already a big problem. The rotary in front of the market leads to  a huge traffic jam almost everyday." Rajinder Mehndiratta