Guwahati Municipal Corporation not returning seized goods, allege vendors

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Even as a campaign has been underway on the part of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) against street vendors, the victims of the campaign have alleged that authorities of the civic body do not return seized items even after the requisite fine is paid.

They further alleged the GMC officials flout the rule which stipulates that a seizure list of confiscated items should be prepared.

A cloth vendor based at the Beltola market said that they have been running their trade at the market for the last 15 years. However, since the last six months or so GMC officials come to the market every now and then to evict them. The GMC officials also seize their goods during the eviction process. The cloth vendor allege that GMC officials seized goods worth about Rs 15,000 from him around two months back and has not returned them so far despite repeated requests.

A section of women vendors who come to sell their wares at the weekly market days on Thursday and Sunday complained that not only do they have to pay a fee to the GMC, but also to some middlemen. They said that being women, they do not like to get into a controversy by refusing to pay the middlemen. They unanimously said that it is the GMC's duty to resolve these issues first before launching eviction drives.

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