Vendors fail to show up at Panchkula’s first, largest zone

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 8

Ever since its inauguration in February last year, the Municipal Corporation has failed to address issues concerning vendors in its first and largest vending zone in Sector 19 – mainly low customer turnout due to remote location and poor road connectivity with other parts of the town.

‘We sit idle the entire day’

We sit idle throughout the day, waiting for customers. The prices of essential commodities, including vegetables and pulses, have reached an all-time high. How can I feed my family with such a low earning? - Barsatu Nishad, A food item vendor

‘Occupancy low despite notices’

Though notices were issued to vendors who are yet to take possession of allotted sites, the percentage of occupied sites remains low. The issue will be taken up at the next meeting of the Town Vending Committee. - Kulbhushan Goyal, Mayor

The concerns forced a majority of them to not take the possession of the sites allotted to them, while those who took the possession complain of poor sales.

During a visit to the vending site today, Chandigarh Tribune found it wearing a deserted look.

It has been learnt that even those who had earlier taken possession of their allotted sites have eventually stopped setting up their stalls at the vending zone due to poor sales.

They either work as daily wager for an alternative source of income or set up their rehris or roam around in the neighborhood locations like Baltana.

“Just a few vendors come to the vending zone every day, that too for limited hours in morning and evening,” said Jai Parkash Pandey, a cloth vendor.

Pandey added, “How can we pay Rs2,000 as monthly rent for the site to the civic body with low earnings, particularly when we don’t have proper electricity and water facilities.”

Barsatu Nishad, a food vendor, had moved to his allotted site in the Sector 19 vending zone a fortnight ago. From the Day 1, he struggles to get customers.

The only breadwinner of his family, Nishad said, “We sit idle throughout the day waiting for customers. The prices of essential commodities, including vegetables and pulses, have reached an all-time high and we are a family of seven. How can I feed my family with such a low earning?”

According to MC officials, the Sector 19 vending zone, the largest in the town, has a capacity to accommodate over 300 vendors. Around 200 sites had already been allotted, they said. Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal said though notices had been issued to vendors who were yet to take the possession of the allotted sites, the percentage of occupied sites remained low in the Sector 19 vending zone. “The issue will be taken up at the next meeting of the Town Vending Committee,” he said.

According to Goyal, at least 778 sites have been allotted at eight vending zones in Sectors 2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15 and 19. However, hundreds of sites are yet to be alloted to vendors in these vending zones.

The mc has planned to develop eight more vending zones in the trans-Ghaggar sectors. On this, Goyal said, “Why to waste money? We would first try to allot vacant sites in the already operational vending zones.”