Liquor vend at motor market irks shopkeepers, visitors

Sandeep Rana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 21

A liquor vend, which opened a few months ago at the dedicated motor market in Sector 48, has created plenty of problems for shopkeepers as well as visitors.

The Motor Market Union says, “The liquor vend is not only against norms as it cannot function in dedicated motor market, but has also become a nuisance in the area.”“People come at the liquor vend and cause traffic jam in already chaotic market in the evening,” said union members.

“They buy wine from the liquor vend, park their cars inside motor market and start drinking here while sitting in their vehicles. Sometimes, they smash liquor bottles on road. Broken pieces of glass bottles puncture tyres of vehicles of people, who come to the market,” they added.

“Not only mechanics, even customers are fed up with liquor vend, but the authorities concerned have turned a blind eye towards the issue due to reasons best known to them,” said a shop owner preferring anonymity.

“Mechanics from different markets, including Sectors 28, 7, 21, 37 and those working along city roads, were allotted booths at the Sector 48 motor market. A ‘theka’ has opened unauthorisedly instead of a motor mechanic shop here. It makes no sense at all. We do not know why it has opened. ‘Theka’ must be shifted to some other area,” said another mechanic.

Shopkeepers had vehemently protested against opening of the liquor vend at the motor market on April 28. They had blocked road for about two hours and stopped demonstration only after the police intervention.

Following this, shopkeepers held a meeting with senior officials of the UT Administration. “Those mechanics, who were allotted shops, were indirectly pressurised not to take up the matter further. Fearing some adverse step against them by officials concerned, shopkeepers had to surrender that time. But, in last few months, it had only inconvenienced us,” said a mechanic, who owns a shop at the Sector 48 motor market, on condition of anonymity.

When The Tribune correspondent asked the liquor vend staff to give contact number or name of the contractor, they refused bluntly.

“We are authorised. That is why we are sitting here. We are not bothered about whatever happens due to the liquor vend,” said in-charge of the liquor vend in a huff while declining to share his name.

Meanwhile, Ramesh Kumar Chaudhary, UT Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, told Chandigarh Tribune, “We had taken approval for opening liquor vend from the Administrator. Many liquor vends in the periphery have closed following court’s order.”

“As we were short of location, so a liquor vend was opened at the Sector 48 motor market. We never had any representation from shopkeepers against vend after protest they once staged. As far as law and order is concerned, we will ask the police to step in,” he added.