ROURKELA: A fresh survey has been conducted to rehabilitate street vendors and free the roads of Steel City from encroachment. But there seems no end to the vicious cycle of fresh encroachment and rehabilitation demand.
The Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) had engaged a consultancy firm which has identified 2,380 roadside vendors in 40 Wards for relocation and rehabilitation. The RMC has notified for deletion and addition of names till May 9 after which the final list would be sent to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department for approval.
But there has been no effort to prevent fresh encroachments. New permanent structures are coming up opposite the Rourkela Government (Autonomous) College and at other places where street vendors were rehabilitated. They include the main road stretch at Uditnagar, sporadic locations of the Civil Township, BSNL Square and BPUT Road of Chhend Colony.
At Daily Market, streets vendors have returned to the main road after being asked to settle at the Power House truck parking area. At the vending zone of Basanti Colony, most of the shops remain closed as vendors continue to encroach the road.
It is a common modus operandi of the floating population from outside to help their extended families or friends to end up encroaching prime locations of the city as livelihood option.
A few years ago, fruit vendors were settled at the vending zone of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), but their extended families and friends have again occupied the road near Bisra Square.
Former Chairman of erstwhile Rourkela Municipality Narendra Tripathy said all street vendors should be relocated in a systematic manner and the RMC should strictly act to prevent fresh encroachment. RMC Commissioner AK Mallick said the civic administration is strictly discouraging fresh encroachment.
As the RMC has no land, the Land Allotment Committee of the district would be requested to provide land for creation of vending zones, he added.