Udaipur- The Handcart Traders Mazdoor Union, has raised concerns over the ongoing campaign by the Municipal Corporation Udaipur to organize handcart traders. The union leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the survey conducted by the corporation and voiced their objections to the unilateral decisions being made by the Town Vending Committee.

Speaking to The Mooknayak the Town Vending Committee members Dharmendra Kumawat and Banshilal Chauhan disclosed details about the corporation's campaign, highlighting the discrepancies in the results of a survey conducted by the Udaipur Nagar Nigam

According to the corporation's survey, a minimum of 1878 and a maximum of 2819 handcarts were reported, a significant decrease from the 2015 survey which reported 3050 handcarts. The committee members unanimously rejected the survey findings, asserting that decisions made without the full constitution of the Town Vending Committee are illegal.

Union Patron Rajesh Singhvi criticized the partial composition of the Town Vending Committee, stating that only 10 street vendors have been elected, leaving 15 positions vacant. Singhvi emphasized that any decision made without the complete committee is illegitimate. He questioned the corporation's contrasting claims of having 10,000 street vendors while only identifying 2819 in the survey, leaving the fate of the remaining 7000 handcart vendors uncertain.

In a meeting held on Sunday, the Union President Rao Gumansingh raised concerns about the conduct of the Town Vending Committee meetings, highlighting the alleged illegal participation of the Deputy Mayor. He stressed the need for the Municipal Corporation Commissioner to work independently and without undue pressure.

Committee member Dharmendra Kumawat accused the corporation of arbitrarily determining vending and non-vending zones without the formation of a complete Town Vending Committee. He suggested that this game aims to evict handcart traders, potentially leading to loss of employment and taxes.

Union Vice President Mohammad Nizam called for the formation of a complete Town Vending Committee and urged the Municipal Corporation to conduct the survey independently. He criticized plans to remove street vendors from main roads and tourist places, emphasizing the importance of considering the livelihoods of handcart traders.

Banshilal Chauhan, another committee member, highlighted efforts to create discord among vendors by differentiating between vegetarians and non-vegetarians items selling carts. Chauhan urged the corporation to enforce proper regulations, especially at Saras Dairy booths.

Various union members expressed their discontent with the Deputy Mayor's repeated labelling of pushcart traders as illegal. They accused the BJP board of the Municipal Corporation of unfairly targeting street vendors and warned against playing with their livelihoods. The handcart traders remain steadfast in their demand for a fair and transparent resolution to the ongoing issues with the Municipal Corporation Udaipur.

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