The encroachment of the hawkers of the Gokulpeth market has become a headache for the shopkeepers and they recently complain about the matter to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).
They are suffering from the illegal shops of hawkers, situated in the parking area which is specially allotted for vehicles, of the shoppers who visit the market. It is also seen that the road that leads to these shops is totally damaged and no new construction has been done for years.
As the parking area is booked with the handcarts of the hawkers, it becomes a miserable situation as the people who come to buy things from the shops, have to park their vehicles way far from the shops. The situation becomes even much worse during the peak hours of the market, as many of the handcarts are seen parked right in the middle of the road because of which the vehicles and the passerby have to suffer.Â
Requests of the shop owners, to maintain a disciplinary routine and a regular check on the hawkers are totally ignored by NMC. These same shop owners are the ones who also pay the rent and even taxes to NMC, yet no help is provided in regard to the situation.
The shopkeepers are even in a threat by these hawkers, as many times the hawkers have attacked on the shops and their owners. Such incidents have happened so many times that the shop owners were even seen talking under pressure and hiding their identity.
The hawkers are seen throwing their leftover vegetables near to the shops and even on the roads. These hawkers are the ones who have not registered themselves for the market committee of the vegetable shops and have started their business despite having a proper arrangement provided inside the market area.
The Market authority of NMC, Gokulpeth told TLN that the NMC has done their encroachment drive several times during this year in the month of August and at the beginning of September, but still, these people are seen with their handcarts after a day or two.
Ramchandra Raut, Market Head, NMC, Gokulpeth told TLN that a special arrangement was made by NMC, known as Hawkers Zone. during this year, for which even registrations were made available but as no response was seen to this arrangement, the whole idea was dropped by NMC.
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