A vending zone at Unit-VI in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 9: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) wants vending zones and kiosks of Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Limited (Omfed) and Odisha State Poultry Products Cooperative Marketing Federation Limited (Opolfed) across the city to be spruced up ahead of the Local Self Government Day on August 31.

The owners of shops in the vending zones and Opolfed and Omfed kiosks have been asked to make them spic and span by August 24. Owners of phone booths and flower kiosks set up with the BMC’s collaboration are expected to meet the deadline, failing which their trade licences would be cancelled.

The civic body has asked the traders to repaint their shops and kiosks and remove any structure added to them in violation of rules. They have also been asked to use dustbins to keep their surroundings litter-free and plant trees in front of the vending zones. All this would be done by the shop-owners at their own cost.

However, in case of the vending zones that were set up in the public private partnership (PPP) mode, part of the exercise would be carried out by the private partner. The city has 56 vending zones, of which 36 are run in the PPP mode. The city has 80 Opolfed and 587 Omfed kiosks apart from 150 phone booths and 17 flower outlets.

“We have decided to give a new look to the city. Hence, we have asked all vendors to paint their shops and keep their surroundings clean. If anyone fails to do so, the corporation will cancel their licences,” said mayor Anant Narayan Jena.

Sources in the BMC said the best vending zone and the owners of the best Omfed and Opolfed kiosks would be felicitated by the civic body.

Since the vending zones were set up in the PPP mode, the private parties were supposed to contribute substantially to the maintenance of the zones. However, vendors alleged that the private parties had not done their bit.

“According to our agreement, the private party will collect revenues through display of advertisements but at the same time, they are also supposed to maintain the vending zones. But they have not been doing this. The civic body had earlier constituted a squad to look after cleanliness of the vending zones and the kiosks, but the squads have now become defunct,” said president of All Odisha Road Side Vendor’s Association Pratap Sahu.

The civic body has also decided to renovate all the existing bus shelters in the city.