By Sunil Sonker Mussoorie, 25 Dec: Matters have escalated after street vendors’ complete removal from the Mall Road, considered the identity of Mussoorie.
The municipal administration has shifted some street vendors, selected through the Town Vending Committee (TVC), to alternative vending zones, but a large number of street vendors are still sitting on an indefinite dharna at the Shaheed Sthal in Junagarh, demanding to continue their business on the Mall Road.Executive Officer Gaurav Bhasin met the protesting street vendors and informed them about the rules and procedures. He clarified that the process of shifting the street vendors selected through the Town Vending Committee to the vending zones identified by the municipal administration has begun. He said that the process of selecting (identifying) street vendors is not yet completely finished. A meeting of the Town Vending Committee will be called in the first week of January, in which the remaining eligible street vendors will be identified and provided suitable places to sell from. The Executive Officer categorically stated that no action will be taken against the rules.Gaurav Bhasin said that the administration is continuously trying to explain the situation to the street vendors and he is confident that, in the coming time, the vendors will agree to a solution under the rules. He also said that protesting and presenting their demands democratically is the right of the street vendors, and it is in this context that they are staging a dharna at Shaheed Sthal. He also stated that talks are underway with senior officials regarding shifting the programmes held at Shaheed Sthal and Tula Ghar to another controlled location so that there is no disruption during the upcoming carnival and other events.On the other hand, street vendors Ramkishan Rahi, Sanjay Tamta, and others said that they will continue their indefinite dharna at Shaheed Sthal until their demands are met. The vendors alleged that they have been discriminated against by the municipality and the local administration. They clearly stated that they will set up their stalls on Mall Road, no matter what it takes. The street vendors have also demanded the immediate dissolution of the Town Vending Committee. They said that if the committee is not dissolved, they will not hesitate to approach the court.This movement by street vendors in a sensitive and touristic important area like Mall Road is now becoming a challenge for the administration. On the one hand, there is the responsibility of maintaining the city’s beauty and traffic management, and on the other hand, there is the question of the livelihood of hundreds of families. In this situation, all eyes are now on the Town Vending Committee meeting scheduled for the first week of January and the administration’s next move.
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