Vendors at busy markets to pay Rs 1,500-2,000 as monthly fee

Street vendors at Sector 22 market in Chandigarh on Monday. (Source: Jasbir Malhi)

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has decided that street vendors of sectors 19, 22, 35 and other busy markets of the city will have to shell out Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 every month. The vendors in other sectors will have to pay anything between Rs 300 and 800.

According to the civic body, essential service providers in sectors 19, 22, 15, 18 , 34 , 35 7, 20, 21, 23, 26, 45, Rock Garden and Manimajra will have to pay Rs 1,500 every month as the street vending fee, while non-essential service providers will have to pay Rs 2,000 monthly fee.

Essential service providers mean vendors who sale tea, doing ironing, cycle repair, cobbler, barbers, newspapers, milkmen, bread or egg sellers and massagers.

Those essential service providers who would remain stationed at sectors 1, 2, 3, 4 ,5, 6, 8 ,9 ,10, 11, 12 ,40 ,41, 16 ,36, 38 ,32 ,43 ,46, 39, 37, 47, 42, 27, 28, 30, 29, 31, 24 ,25, 33, 51, 52 ,53 ,54 ,55, 56 and 63 would pay Rs 500 as monthly fee, while non-ESPs will shell out Rs 800 per month.

According to the civic body, essential service providers of sectors 14, 48, 49, 50, Dhanas, Maloya, Mauli Jagran, Vikas Nagar, Hallomajra, Dadumajra and other colony areas will have to shell out Rs 300 per month, while non-ESPs will have to pay Rs 800 per month.

Ram Milan Gaur, president, Street Vendors Association, told Chandigarh Newsline that they would protest against the decision of the civic body in Sector 9 tomorrow (Tuesday).

“We would gather against the decision. Earlier, small vendors were paying Rs 1,600 per year to the MC and now even a tea stall vendor has to pay

Rs 18,000 to Rs 24,000 per annum. He would not be able to earn that much the amount they are charging from us,” he said.

Gaur added that they are against the decision of the civic body and would appeal to higher authorities on the issue.