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Harshraj Singh
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, November 11
As the Municipal Corporation (MC) started charging increased composition fee from street vendors, the latter allege harassment at the hands of the MC authorities. The vendors had earlier opposed the MC’s decision to hike the fee in September and requested the authorities not to charge any increased fee.
The vendors who earlier used to pay Rs 800 for a cart (without roof) are being charged Rs 1,500 now. Besides, the vendors having a cart with roof or stall were earlier being charged Rs 1,600 but they are being asked to pay Rs 2,500 from this month as per information. The vendors are raising questions over the role of the MC authorities which failed to setup street vending zones for them despite their repeated demands.
Members of the Rehri Phari Federation in September had requested the MC authorities to roll back their decision as the vendors can’t afford to pay increased fee.
Vijay Kumar, vice-president of the federation, said, “When we raised objections over fee hike in September, the MC officials had assured us that they would find a solution. Now, we strongly oppose the hiked composition fee being charged from the vendors. The government has failed to address our grievances,” he said.
“Without any participation of the town vending committee members, the Mayor and the Commissioner have taken the decision to hike the composition fee. It is totally wrong move to harass the vendors,” he alleged.
A vendor said, “Political leaders often get their illegal hoardings displayed in the city but no fine is charged from them. However, if any poor vendor even stations his cart, he is forced to pay heavy composition fee.”
He said, “Earlier, I used to pay Rs 800 to the civic body, but I was forced to pay Rs 1,500 this month for stationing my cart without roof. It is very difficult for me to pay a huge amount every month for stationing my cart. If vending zones are setup, we will not be forced to station carts on roadsides. It is the responsibility of the civic body to provide us place to run our business in a right manner.”
According to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, the civic body is supposed to setup vending zones for the street vendors. But, the MC has failed to setup even a single vending zone for the streets vendors till date.
Tehbazari wing head Neeraj Jain said the Finance and Contract Committee of the MC had fixed the composition fee.
On being asked whether any notification has been issued by the government regarding fee hike, Jain further said that there was no need of the notification as the decision to hike the fee had been taken by the MC’s F&CC.
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