JMC-H gives 10 days to clear illegal vendors

Jaipur: With the number of street vendors in Jaipur's heritage area surging far beyond the authorised limit, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation-Heritage (JMC-H) issued a strict 10-day ultimatum to remove unauthorised vendors and restore order on public roads. The decision was made during a meeting of the Footpath Vendor Rehabilitation Committee held at the JMC-H on Friday.The meeting, chaired by committee chairperson Ravi Prakash Saini and attended by all committee members, focused on the growing issue of illegal vending zones and unregulated hawkers blocking public spaces. Proposals related to the establishment of regulated vending zones, action against unauthorised dairy booths, and organising street vendors in a systematic manner were discussed and passed.Saini highlighted that while JMC-H developed 31 official vending zones with capacity for around 9,600 licensed vendors, the ground reality paints a grim picture. "Each licenced vendor is surrounded by three to four unlicenced hawkers, pushing the total number close to 30,000," he said. This unchecked expansion severely narrowed public roads. "Stretches that were originally 40 feet wide have shrunk to just 6 to 7 feet, leading to traffic congestion and major inconvenience for the public," saini added.