Vendors in Atal market reopen shops after 4 days

Ranchi: Over 300 traders of the Atal Vendors’ Market reopened their shops on Saturday after deputy mayor Sanjiv Vijayavargiya assured them that their grievances would be redressed. He was accompanied by city managers of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC).
The RMC had pasted a notice on June 14, directing the vendors to remove encroachment and lighting installation on their allotted shops, if any, failing which action would be taken against the erring vendors. Acting on the notice, they had shut their businesses and submitted a letter to the deputy mayor, requesting him to make arrangements for installation of electricity metres so that they could pay their electricity charges individully. They also requested him to allow them to display their products on hanging frames for better business.
Talking to TOI, Vijayavargiya said, “The vendors told me that half of the lights installed at the market complex have become unoperational. Hence, a few have installed lights at their allotted shops, which resulted in the notice issued by assistant municipal commissioner Kunwar Singh Pahan. I have assured them that their grievances will be taken up during the Town Vending Committee Meeting.”
Pahan told TOI, “I had found during inspection that a few shopkeepers had installed illegal structures and lights at their allotted space, which weren’t allowed. We will take up the issues during the next board meeting and further action will be decided accordingly.”
RMC officials said the notice was issued to several vendors who had installed lights in their shops, resulting in high power bill, paid by RMC. Also, the unauthorised installation of display stands were blocking CCTV footage, which was a security concern.
Nagendra Pandey, one of the vendors and member of town vending committee said: “The lights have gone faulty. So, we had to make alternative arrangements. If the RMC gives us notice for that, what are we supposed to do? We raised our concerns with RMC but to no avail. So, we approached the deputy mayor.”