MCG plans to revamp street vending policy

Gurugram: The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram is planning to overhaul it's street vending policy after it has been found that only six per cent of the city's street vendors is covered under its vending zones.

According to MCG officials, only 1,100 of 18,000 street vendors are covered in their 157 street vending zones, which has resulted in a large number of vendors encroaching upon public spaces and main roads, leading to congestion, snarls and chaos.

The street vending policy was introduced in 2016, to provide social security and reserve the livelihood of street vendors. The number of street vendors operating in the city was provided to the MCG earlier this month by the Haryana government, following a citywide survey.

For long there have been complaints that how prime areas, footpaths are being deliberately taken over in the city. One of the sternest actions was taken by the MCG after it sealed more than 80 shops in Sadar Bazaar that was allowing encroachment by street vendors. Action against street vendors who encroach upon public spaces continues even now.

While the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) claims that its officials are working towards providing better walking spaces for the citizens, most of the residents do not seem to be impressed by the claims. Complaints of encroachments in the city continue to come in large numbers at the MCG office.

Even as there has been a large-scale campaign by the MCG in removing the encroachments on the city pavements, residents have often highlighted that encroachment at pavement is a regular sight in the city.