Vending zones deserted

The tall claims of the government in ensuring smooth passage to the commuters have fallen flat when it comes to the ground realities. The vending zone that was established under the smart city project worth Rs four crores at Magarmal Bagh area of Srinagar is deserted even after the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the project a year ago. One fails to understand why a huge amount was spent on the establishing of vending zones when the government had no plans to shift the street vendors to the place. It seems that the hefty sum utilized on the project has failed to bring any fruit as the street vendors continue to give tough times to the commuters as the continuous occupation of roadsides and footpaths by these vendors are leaving the commuters and the pedestrians to lurch at large. The lives of pedestrians are being put at risk as they are being forced to walk in the middle of the roads. The million dollar question remains when the government is going to shift the street vendors to the particular zones to mitigate the sufferings of people. The concerned department and officials should be asked to put an end to the lymphatic attitude so that the process to shift the vendors is started at an earliest. There is a need to take appropriate decisions in this regard and shift the registered vendors to the particular place so that the occupation of roadsides and footpaths are removed at an earliest.