Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir: An early-morning eviction drive by the municipal corporation of Jammu (JMC) on 5 February in a spot so popular with street vendors selling fast food that it is unofficially called the Rehri zone (cart zone) has left many of them struggling to survive.
The president of the cart zone in the popular commercial hub of Gandhi Nagar, Mohan Sharma, told Article 14 that nine carts were allegedly removed.
“This cart is our only source of livelihood. I have been serving food to customers for years. We started at Gole Market in Gandhi Nagar, said Sharma. “Ten years ago, the commissioner of JMC assured us that we would be provided a vending zone.”
“We were allotted this place and have been here for the last ten years. Now they are evicting us. I am back on the road. There are 122 carts here—what will we do?” he said.
The municipal corporation commissioner, Divyansh Yadav, has claimed that many vendors are operating without licences issued by the JMC.
Yadav said that citywide enforcement drives are underway and that, in Gandhi Nagar, complaints from residents about nuisance in residential areas led to action against unlicensed carts.
Yadav said that a smart city-led beautification project in the area has necessitated such regulatory measures, and that new vending zones would be designated.
This story was originally published in article-14.com. Read the full story here.
