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| A roadside vendor in Sambalpur. Telegraph picture |
Sambalpur, Feb. 18: The municipality has decided to shift around 250 roadside vegetable vendors to the weekly market of the city in a bid to ease traffic congestion on major roads.
“The vegetable vendors, who are operating their business along some major roads of the city will be shifted to Kamlibazar. We have also made announcement in this regard,” said executive officer of the Sambalpur Municipality Aniruddha Padhan.
“Earlier, the Sambalpur Municipality had decided to shift the roadside vegetable vendors by February 13. However, because of some problems, we could not shift them by that period. But, they will be shifted to Kamlibazar shortly,” said Padhan.
“The vendors will be allotted space in the market on lottery basis,” he said.
Kamlibazar, which is the oldest organised weekly market of the city, will be converted into a daily vegetable market after the vendors are rehabilitated in it.
“It is a welcome decision. The roadside vegetable vendors will get an organised market,” said a roadside vegetable vendor, who operates in front of the fire station.
In a similar exercise, the Sambalpur Municipality has already developed a new vegetable market at Gobindtola. Besides, around 100 roadside vegetable vendors have already allotted space at the new market.
The civic body barricaded about one acre adjoining the embankment of Harad Jore Nullah at Gobindtola for the new market and allotted space to the roadside vegetable vendors.
The vendors, who had been operating along the Dhanupali-Gobindtola road, Dhanupali Chhak, Jail Chhak and Nelson Mandela Chhak in the city, have been accommodated in the newly developed market at Gobindtola.
“This is a welcome move. I am really happy as the civic body is taking steps to ensure smooth vehicular movement in the city. The city bus service has already begun in Sambalpur. Therefore, it becomes essential to shift the roadside vegetable markets in order to ensure smooth plying of the city buses,” said local resident Susant Sahu.
