Clear fee dues by July 26 or lose licence, civic body tells vendors

Chandigarh, July 10

The Municipal Corporation (MC) has asked registered vendors to pay their pending fee by July 26 or their vending licence will be cancelled. The vendors, however, demand that they should be exempted from paying fee in view of Covid.

About 2,500 registered vendors could not pay the vending fee of the past few months. Vendors said rather than giving exemption, the MC was forcing them to pay the fee for a period when there were lockdown restrictions in the city.

Jagat Shankar, a street vendor in Sector 15, said, “During the past two-three months, there was not much footfall in the market. Some vendors continued to work while some had left to their native places as there was no sale due to fixed timings for vending. How can we pay fee for the whole month when vending hours were limited?”

Another vendor added, “We have been requesting the MC to exempt us from paying the fee but they have instead issued a notice asking us to clear the fee or face the axe. The MC should have taken a lenient view and give a fee exemption for at least two-three months.”

Councillor Satish Kainth said, “We will take up this issue with the corporation. It was difficult for vendors to make ends meet during Covid. Their fees should be waived so that they could earn their livelihood. After all, they have been paying the fee regularly before the pandemic struck.” — TNS