City's vending zone to come up at Rajajipuram

LUCKNOW: Finally, the city is all set to have its first vending zone in Rajajipuram area. On Saturday, the vending committee of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) gave its nod to setting up the zone near Tempo Stand of Rajajipuram. The rest of the locality will be declared a non-vending zone.The beginning to this effect will bemade from July 7 when vendors will get registered with the LMC. The vendors willalso be required to pay a fee of Rs 3,600 per annum making them liable to carryout their business from the zone.The committee also cleared the wayfor registration of moving vendors. They will be required to pay an annual feeof Rs 1,200. Likewise, vendors carrying out their business from a weekly marketwill also get registered. In the first phase, vendors carrying out theirbusiness from the weekly market in Mahanagar area will becovered.Additional municipal commissioner, PK Srivastava said thatthis was a long awaited decision. "Vendors registered with the LMC will beallocated a dedicated place. They will not be allowed to carry out theirbusiness from other areas of the city," he said.Setting up ofvending zones in the city has been pending for the past three years withrepresentatives from various vendors association seeking membership into thevending committee. However, LMC did not accepted the demand, claiming that itwould inflate the committee with different members raising differentdemands.Interestingly, no member from the district administration orpolice was present in the meeting which was held on Saturday. Chairman of thecommittee and city mayor, Dinesh Sharma said that officials from the twodepartments happen to be crucial for effective implementation of the vendingpolicy. "But I am surprised to see that neither the district magistrate nor theSSP came to attend any such meetings. Neither did they send any of theirrepresentatives despite being sent an official communication to that effect," hesaid.Notably, according to the UP Municipal Act, it will be the dutyof the police station concerned to see that no encroachment happens once it isremoved by the municipality.The peculiar absence of the officialsfrom district administration as well as police has now raised the apprehensionof the two agreeing with the municipal decision to declare a particular localitya vending zone. "After all they are required to see that no law and orderproblem arise as a result," said a senior municipal official.