The Hindu : New Delhi News : Bid to save Sewa Nagar project

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Friday, Jan 18, 2008
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Bid to save Sewa Nagar project

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Sewa Nagar pilot project launched in 2004 by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and civil society organisation Manushi Sangathan to accommodate street vendors in a disciplined and aesthetic manner without causing inconvenience to other road users needs to be saved from an imminent takeover by alleged criminal elements, says Manushi Sangathan head Madhu Kishwar.

Addressing a press conference here, Ms. Kishwar said: “We began this project as a challenge to show that vendors could be accommodated in an aesthetic and orderly manner and the existing system of bribes and payoffs could be replaced by a fee-based access to market space. However, owing to pressure tactics of the local extortion mafia and inaction of the police to curtail their unlawful activities, this project is under serious jeopardy now.”

Under this project, 159 existing vendors of Sewa Nagar signed a voluntary undertaking committing themselves to establishing modes of self-regulation, stay within allotted space, maintain cleanliness and pay a monthly tehbazari of Rs.390 to the MCD through the Sangathan and pay for all other civic services without selling or renting out their stalls. However, the organisation believes that the success of the project has made the local mafia, backed by certain sections of the enforcement agencies and the political establishment, more determined to sabotage the experiment since the commercial value of the project area has risen phenomenally in the last three years.

Elaborating on the seriousness of the situation, Ms. Kishwar said: “Several of the Sangathan’s workers have been beaten up and threatened in the past many months and since last April 30 we have not even been allowed to enter Sewa Nagar. The gang members have foisted fake cases against our volunteers and vandalised the civic infrastructure created by us in Sewa Nagar, all in a bid to capture the vendor market illegally.”

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