The State of the art, modern, newly constructed ‘Atal Smriti Vendors Market’ inaugurated last week is awaiting any vender to operate while all of them are busy at already congested Main Road, creating havoc among the commuters.
The State Capital’s busiest artery between Kutchery Road to Albert Ekka Chowk was expected to get rid of regular traffic chaos after the investiture of Vendors Market but the ‘No Vending Zone’ remains under the domination of street sellers.
On the other side, the officials of Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) who are ensuring the allotment of identified spaces for the street vendors inside the mega structure quipped that a month will be required to properly settle down the registered vendors inside the marketing complex located at Kutchery Road. Further, the City Managers opined that due to some technical glitch in counting the total numbers of the registered vendors, the shifting process has been kept on hold.
“During the first survey as many as 660 vendors were registered in the list while when some objection were entertained, it was found that the actual strength of street vendors are 541, those who have all valid documents. The resurvey was completed on November 1,” said RMC City Manager and NLM Cell In-charge Kumar Vikash.
Moreover, Vikash clarified that only by mid December over 350 street vendors will be settled inside the market in the first phase. “During the inauguration, it was announced that 127 street vendors will be settled down there immediately, however, considering the intervention of the members of Town Vending Committee (TVC), now each one of them will be given place at the site together. Till then, the Vendors Market will not be opened.”
The building (G+5) that cover a carpet area of 2,94,240 sq. feet with basements, a banquet hall, a cafeteria, 23 offices, 472 kiosks, 108 shops is the first and the biggest Vendors Market of the State with all State-of-the- Art facilities. Constructed at a cost of Rs 54 crore granted by the Government of Jharkhand (GoJ), the Vendors Market has amenities ranging from CCTV cameras, fire extinguishers, public announcement systems, advance parking service, landscaping and fountains have been equipped inside the building for better crowd management and maintenance.
Following the guidelines of GoI including the State, as many as 36,831 street vendors have been identified, out of which 5,901 street vendors are from Ranchi, as per the State government’s record. Around16, 141 Identity (ID) cards have been distributed among the street vendors across the State while 238 street vendors have been linked with banking facilities.
Construction of Night Market (Ratri Haat) adjacent to Jaipal Singh Stadium is also on the cards.
