The rehabilitation drive for city street vendors is in limbo as the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) is still dragging its feet over the construction of shops. As per the rehabilitation plan the municipal body will construct around 600 shops for as many footpath vendors.
“Work is in progress. We have demarcated the vending zone and construction will begin within few days,” said Deputy CEO of RMC, Shailendra lal.
A boundary wall has been erected to separate the sporting arena from the vending zone which was considered a prerequisite by the municipal body to begin construction in the demarcated area.
Interestingly, the municipal body in February 2013 had announced proposed market at Jaipal Singh Stadium however even after ten months it is repeating the same promise. The civic body officials, yet again, promised to complete the project in six to seven months’ time.
“We have completed all works and details regarding the project will be uploaded within few days,” maintained lal.
The proposed market was conceived to decongest city roads by relocating vendors from Main Road and Shaheed Chowk, who overstep the line drawn as a boundary for them and often cause inconvenience to commuters and vehicles. The market was proposed to be constructed on the western side of the stadium which is also being renovated to give it international look.
“We have been waiting for the concrete structure to come up but it seems that there is no end to our wait. The RMC needs to expedite the work so that we can get proper place,” Nazeer Ahmed, a vendor.
Incidentally, the National Hawkers Federation has continued on its earlier stand that the municipal body has to provide permanent shops to vendor as mandated by Jharkhand Urban Street Vendors (Protection of livelihood & Regulation of Street
Vending) Act.
“We have been demanding this from a very long time. Now the RMC has to expedite the work and provide a suitable place to the vendors,” said Anita Das of National Hawkers Federation.