Mahatma Gandhi Marg, once the busiest road in the city, is now almost a commuters’ delight after street vendors doing business along the stretch were removed 11 days ago by Ranchi traffic police on orders from Jharkh.and High Court.

Between now and then, MG Marg has been declared a ‘no vending zone’ and police personnel are continuously on lookout for hawkers peddling their merchandise in defiance of the High Court ruling. They were pointed towards an alternative spot to their businesses to, though.

But now, Ranchi Municipal Corporation seems to be making hard and fast arrangements for rehabilitating the removed vendors, providing them a respite from the immediate shock of eviction and a permanent resolution to their shop space gripes.

“If the vendors agree to it, they are welcome to open shop in the Town Hall. We have discussed the matter with Urban Development Minister CP Singh who will, in turn, will ask the vendors for their say on moving. We are waiting for the outcome of dialogue between the Minister and vendors,” stated Ranchi Mayor Asha lakra.

Meanwhile, work is going on in full swing to realise the idea of building a vending zone for the street vendors of Ranchi. The process has gathered steam since the eviction, as it never did before, stated lakra.

“We are planning to build a G+5 structure as vending zone on the plot located south of Jaipal Singh Stadium. The procedure involved has been hastened considering the need for the vending zone. Tenders have been floated for inviting interested parties,” added the Mayor.

Meanwhile, keeping street vendors and wrongly parked vehicles from impeding traffic flow on MG Marg has garnered positive response from the commuters and traffic constables alike, claim traffic police officials.

“Our constables stationed along MG Marg used to be on their toes round the clock to resolve traffic bottlenecks created by vendors and illegal parking encroaching on the streets. Based on the feedback from them, they are relieved a great deal since these factors were eliminated. We have received some calls from public praising the step, telling us how they can now traverse Main Road within minutes,” stated Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Dilip Xalxo.

Continuing further, those who shifted their businesses to branch roads will be dealt with after the main stretch of MG Marg is completely cleared of street vendors. Those still putting up shops along Main Road are being strictly apprehended and their goods are seized, he added.

“One crane and several tractors move up and down the stretch looking for vehicles flouting parking norms and impounding them. When these are not available, our constables charge them with no parking charges. More than 100 two-wheelers parked in no-parking zones have been caught,” said Xalxo.

On the other hand, organisations representing street vendors in Ranchi are planning to file a petition in Jharkhand High Court against its eviction notice, as prescribed by Supreme Court in reply to their Special leave Petition filed in the apex court in this regard.

“The legal aspects of the petition have already been discussed with our lawyers and the petition will be filed on Saturday. Along with it, the strategy to protest the eviction will be decided tomorrow only,” informed Anita Das, General Secretary, Ranchi Footpath Dukandaar-Hawkers’ Association.