Rajya Sabha Member Mahesh Poddar clarified his stand on newly built Vendor’s Market in the State Capital. He confirmed that he is in support of the market to be fully handed to the Vendor’s Association despite his views on the allocation of space for Banquet Hall, showroom, office.
The MP earlier raised questions on the allocation of space for banquet, showroom, office and other such facilities in the Atal Smriti Vendor Market near Jaipal Singh Stadium, Kutchery. “My views on the issue remain the same. In a democracy, people have the right to support or protest but I fear the harm that can be inflicted on the benefits of these vendors in lieu of the protest,” said Poddar.
Poddar envisions the Vendor’s Market as the ‘Supermarket of the poor’ and hence not be used for any other purpose. He also proposes that all the floors of the building be assigned to a specific category of goods, for example while one floor has readymade garments, the other has edibles and so on. A systematic distribution of space can benefit the vendors and the buyers, he added.
Empathising with the vendors, Poddar feels that even the street vegetable vendors should be facilitated given how much they go through to bring the vegetables from the farms to the market. Every colony of the City should provide small spaces as a local vendor markets, he proposes.
He cited the example of how government provided the Journalists and Media personnel with Press Club, which is now being run by their association. He believes a similar arrangement needs to be made for the Vendor’s Market for the proper functioning of the place and optimum benefit of the vendors.
He also assured to put a word forward about this plan to the State government so as to provide the street vendors a respectable and easy way to carry out their trade.