Ludhiana | Shopkeepers accuse street vendors of encroaching upon parking area in Pink Plaza market

With the tussle between shopkeepers and street vendors over encroachments at the entry point of the Pink Plaza market (Chaura Bazar) market not relenting, shopkeepers on Saturday submitted a complaint to municipal corporation (MC) zonal commissioner Ankur Mahindroo, accusing street vendors of encroaching upon the free parking area near the market.Accusing street vendors of pulling down the ‘free parking’ board installed at the site, shopkeepers had also submitted a complaint with Kotwali police station on Friday, seeking FIR against street vendors for allegedly damaging the public property and encroaching upon parking area.Recently, high drama was also witnessed in the market after street vendors and shopkeepers entered into a verbal spat over the issue. Ruing losses in the business due to encroachments street vendors at the entry point of the market, shopkeepers also slammed the civic body for failing to act against encroachments despite orders being issued the court of SDM (East) Gursimran Singh Dhillon on September 5.Vendors claim that they deposit a monthly composition fee with the MC for installing the vends along the roadside and have also regered themselves with the civic body.Terming street vendors as “part of land mafia”, president of market association Rubal Dhall said after encroaching upon the road, vendors were now trying to encroach upon free parking area. “The MC has failed to act against the same due to which we are suffering losses in the business as customers stop at the entry point of the market to make purchases from street vendors. MC and police should take strict action against them,” he said. MC superintendent Vivek Verma said regular anti-encroachment drives were being conducted in the city and encroachments in the form of vends had also been removed from outside the Pink Plaza market in the last two days.

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