Street vendors yet to be relocated

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Municipal Corporation plan to shift all the street vendors into vending zones before February 28 this year has come to a nought because the vendors are not willing to relocate to the new vending zones marked by the district administration .

Additional municipal commissioner Amit Kumar admitted that out of 12,657 registered street vendors with LMC only 3,263 street vendors had been given the certificate of shifting to the vending zones.

Sayyed Yawar Hussain Reshu, leader of Samajwadi Party in LMC house, said, “Such is the situation that even commuters on two-wheelers find it difficult to pass through some areas. The LMC claims to have created 168 vending zones but what is the use when you are not capable of shifting the street vendors into these vending zones?”

Additional municipal commissioner Amit Kumar said: “In order to streamline traffic, the LMC has decided to allow street vending in 168 marked zones of the city. Around 12,657 street vendors registered with the corporation will be shifted soon but we don’t want any confrontation with them. We will persuade them to shift to the marked area.” These zones were identified by a team of LMC, district administration, LDA , PWD, traffic police and Awas Vikas along with street vendors. “The LMC wants to shift vendors to vending zones immediately. But vendors have formed a lobby that is not lending an ear to the issues related to their benefits,” said Amit Kumar.