Street vendors are often blamed for choked traffic flow in the city. Time to time anti-encroachment drives do keep them off the streets for a while, but not for long. Keeping this in mind, Ranchi Municipal Corporation proposed some three months ago to allocate a portion of Jaipal Singh Stadium to street vendors, but the project has hit a wall, it seems.
A 17-member town vending committee was formed to supervise the relocation of street vendors between Sarjana Chowk and Kutchery Chowk. The flooring of the allocated area was completed by mid-March. But work stopped after this. Vendors refused to move in, claiming that the infrastructure is not up to the mark.
“We were asked to set up shops in the open, vulnerable to the vagaries of weather. like this, without any shelter, both our goods and health would be at risk. So, we have not even registered yet. We are not opposing the project, all we ask for is that it should be a stable and permanent solution,” said a vendor, refusing to reveal his identity.
In reply to this, Deputy Mayor Sanjeev Vijaywargiya said, “The project came to a standstill after the recent civic polls. But efforts are being made to resume work as soon as possible. Tender will be floated soon for further infrastructure building at the demarcated area. A meeting of town vending committee in this regard will be convened sometime in the next week.”
Then there are some, who have reservations about the credibility of the involved authorities.
“RMC is running the project as it desires. The town vending committee, which was formed due to compulsion, has no say in the matter. Also, funds worth Rs 7.31 lakhs were drawn for flooring the demarcated area, but it does not seems that they were used completely,” stated Kaushal Kishor, an activist of Ranchi Footpath Dukandar Hawkers’ Sangh.
He even claimed that the land RMC is planning to re-establish the vendors is owned by the sports department and not the civic body. He expressed his concerns that this solution might not be a permanent one and the vendors will have to again return to the old ways.
Refuting the accusations with equal sharpness, RMC PRO Naresh Kumar Sinha said, “There are some who will blame us, despite all our efforts for betterment of the city. They neither will act on their own, nor will they appreciate our action.”
“As far as the ownership of the stadium is concerned, it is the property of RMC. Actually, we are to have the stone-laying ceremony in a fortnight in the presence of Governor Syed Ahmed,” he said.
He also informed that a taxi stand-cum-street hawker zone project is in the pipeline, its DPR prepared.