PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE / Dehradun
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) continues to conduct anti-encroachment drives twice or thrice a week across the busy market areas, targeting roadside vendors, cobblers and shopkeepers who extend their setups onto footpaths and roads.
During these regular drives, municipal teams remove encroachments and impose penalties of around Rs 500 on each. If the vendors are unable to pay the fine immediately, their carts, stalls and goods are seized and taken to the municipal premises. The items are later released once the challan is cleared.
However, vendors, undaunted, return to the same locations shortly after the enforcement action, often the same day, resuming their business as usual. This recurring cycle has raised questions about the effectiveness of the ongoing enforcement operation.
In February, the Municipal Corporation had announced plans to develop designated vending zones for street vendors, identifying land for around 25 such zones. The proposal also included allocating nearly 50 per cent of the space for parking to help reduce traffic congestion.
Work on the project reportedly began earlier this year, but the vending zones have yet to become operational.
Commenting on the concerns over repeated encroachments proving ineffectual, Dehradun municipal commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said that the corporation is reviewing the progress of the vending zone project and working towards a permanent solution. “I have sought the file related to the vending zones today to review the remaining work. We are looking into the issue and will ensure that a permanent solution is implemented at the earliest,” Pandey said.
He maintained that the opening of the vending zones would provide a long-term solution to the repeated encroachment issue and help streamline street-vending activities across the city.
