In an Interview with Ashish Srivastava, president of the Lajpat Nagar Market Association Kuldeep Kumar, outlined the myriad problems being faced by the traders in the area.
Excepts:
Why is the issue of encroachment and haphazard parking not being resolved?
Short-sightedness and corruption of officials are behind this situation. A multi-level parking was built but it is inadequate to fulfil the parking needs. So, the MCD operates parking on the road. The market association manages it on their behalf and revenue of Rs 22 lakh is generated every month. Even though the market gives a massive revenue, the MCD has failed to build adequate parking spaces. There is rampant corruption in the police department. Officials take bribes to encourage the hawkers and illegal encroachers to run their businesses whereas they should be doing the opposite.
Why can’t market be vehicle free like Karol Bagh?
The settlement in Lajpat Nagar is more complex than Karol Bagh. The residential quarters and shops are situated in same buildings. Even if we make the area no-vehicle zone for shoppers, it will be a gross injustice for the people living here. It will infringe upon the fundamental rights of the residents. Also, they will never agree to it.
What other problem you would like to highlight?
There are no proper toilet facilities for women in the market area even though our customers are predominantly female shoppers. Firstly, the designated toilets for women are inadequate in number. Secondly, all of them are poorly sanitized and unkempt. Besides, the tiles inside the lanes and bylanes are broken due to non-maintenance. People fall while walking there all the time. The concerned authorities should also look into these issues and resolve them.
