Jaipur: Authorised shopkeepers at Lal Kothi vegetable mandi, who regularly pay taxes to Jaipur Municipal Corporation-Greater, are frustrated at the civic body’s inaction against illegal street vendors who have occupied the place and are stealing business.The situation has worsened as these street vendors have positioned their hand-driven carts at the mandi’s entrance roads. They are also disposing of rubbish everywhere, severely restricting customer access to the market space.“At present, the Lal Kothi mandi is better known for its stink, garbage, and hand carts everywhere—including at the exit and entry gates of the market. Perhaps it is the only marketplace in India where the premises are used as a garbage dump and the adjacent road is occupied by vendors. Because of these street vendors, the handful of shopkeepers inside the market are losing business despite paying legitimate taxes,” rued Amit Lal Jaiman, a member of the shopkeepers’ association.The situation has worsened after Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) made the adjacent roads of the market concrete, as part of the Laxmi Mandir Tiraha development project. This has only provided these street vendors a firmer footing to operate their businesses.Sources among JMC-Greater’s enforcement officials claimed these illehgal street vendors have a strong nexus with a section of politicians and civic body officials. Also, rules say the enforcement department can only charge a fine so low that these street vendors consider it as an “investment” and return to the streets.“The nexus is so strong that there are cases where advocates did not turn up at courts on behalf of the govt, and these vendors have got ex-parte stays without any hearing. How can you now remove those who have legal stay orders in their favour?” the enforcement official said.JMC-Greater officials stated that there is no way they can remove these vendors as the govt is officially promoting them. “On Thursday, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma floated a loan scheme for these street vendors. It means the number of vendors would further increase,” a senior official said.
Illegal vendors occupy, pollute Lal Kothi mandi while JMC stays aloof | Jaipur News
