CSMC to conduct fresh survey of handcarts in city

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The civic administration has decided to conduct a fresh survey of handcart vendors in the city and assign them a specific identification number. According to sources, planning for this exercise will begin in the coming days. The administration is also considering arrangements to allow handcarts to operate in designated open spaces.

The issue of handcarts in the city has once again come into focus following the recent incident at Shahganj. Handcarts have been causing traffic congestion on major roads, and in areas such as Shahganj the situation has reached a point where city buses are unable to pass through. Even after the anti-encroachment squad conducts action in the morning, the handcarts return to the same spots by evening.

Last week, handcart vendors in Shahganj allegedly assaulted a young man and a pregnant woman, which further intensified the issue. Following the incident, cases were also registered against corporators of the

AIMIM for supporting the handcart vendors.

During festivals such as Diwali and Ramzan Eid, handcarts line the roads from Shahganj to City Chowk and from Paithan Gate to Gulmandi. As a result, customers often find it difficult even to enter shops, despite traders paying lakhs of rupees in rent for their premises.

The municipal corporation is now planning several measures, including conducting a survey to determine the exact number of handcarts in the city, assigning them identification numbers, and relocating them to designated open spaces. The police administration has also inspected an open plot belonging to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) in Shahganj. A proposal has been made for the municipal corporation to lease this land from the ST department and also to acquire space at the Aam Khas ground from the Waqf Board.

Survey conducted after the COVID-19 pandemic

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Government introduced a loan scheme for street vendors. Under this scheme, interest-free loans ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 were provided, and a survey was conducted for this purpose. The survey revealed that there were around 14,000 street vendors in the city. It is estimated that this number has increased by another 5,000 over the past five years.