Regularisation for weekly markets in S Delhi after 14 yrs
NEW DELHI: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has decided to initiate the process of regularising weekly markets in all its four zones, according to the instructions issued by the south body commissioner Gyanesh Bharti during a standing committee meeting on Tuesday.
The decision comes six months before municipal elections will be due in Delhi.
The last regularisation survey of weekly markets was carried out in 2007, when the city had a unified municipal body, and one weekly market was permitted in each municipal ward.
SDMC standing committee chairman Col (retd) BK Oberoi raised the matter during the meeting. According to the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), there are more than 1,000 weekly markets in Delhi, of which only 272 are regularised.
Citing Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) orders, Oberoi said municipal deputy commissioners have to decide which markets are authorised and which ones are unauthorised.
The weekly markets in Delhi were closed down in April during the second wave of novel coronavirus.
A phased opening was carried out in the following months. According to the Delhi Disaster
Management Authority (DDMA) order issued on 13th June 2021, only one weekly market per day was allowed to operate in each of the 12 municipal zone.
On August 8 this year, the DDMA issued a revised order allowing all weekly markets in the city to operate.
“If a market is being organised for more than 25 years, and our licencing inspectors are checking these sites regularly, then how can we call them unauthorised,” Oberoi said.
Commissioner Bharti said the laid down procedure for regularisation will be followed, and the law department will be consulted on the matter. “We may need approval from standing committee and the House before declaring the markets regularised,” he told the committee.
Oberoi said the civic body will follow the legal process and necessary approvals by the deliberative wing (councillors) will be granted. “Letters has been written to each zone deputy commissioner and the regularisation process will be initiated soon,” he added.
Arvind Singh, coordinator, NASVI, described it as a “positive move”.
“A lot has changed on ground since the last regularisation exercise was carried out in 2007. Even in 2007, all weekly markets were not covered by MCD. The regularisation will help the civic body get more revenue and the vendors escape the exploitative system,” Singh said.