‘Operation Clean' set to sweep Mohali markets, illegal vendors face eviction
Sources confirm that all preparations for the operation have been finalised, with municipal enforcement teams and police machinery put on high alert to evict the vendors across various phases and sectors.
What started as a few hundreds has exploded over the years. A survey conducted by the civic body earlier recorded around 1,000 vendors, but officials say the actual count is more than double the number, severely affecting the commercial landscape.
'These vendors have formed unions and call themselves shopkeepers, alleging that anyone who objects is silenced through collective intimidation. Even councillors admit that some shopkeepers are renting out space in front of their shops to these vendors, complicating the problem.'
Residents and traders argue that most vendors are not even from Mohali but commute daily from Chandigarh and Punjab, and do not pay any local taxes. 'Our own legal businesses pay taxes to run day-to-day operations while these vendors sell underpriced counterfeit goods,' a Phase 3B2 shopowner disclosed.
Reeling from pressure, a public meeting was held under the chairmanship of Joint Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh to demand swift action. 'The Mayor and MC Commissioner are also collecting Aadhaar and Voter IDs of illegal vendors,' said an official.
The civic body has already identified more than 1,000 illegal vendors through a special survey. Officials confirmed that a strict deadline has been set after which all unauthorised vendors will soon be removed.
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