Jamshedpur : The district administration today slapped penalty on shopkeepers for illegal extensions of shops in commercial hubs.
In a special drive led by Dhalbhum SDO Suraj Kumar accompanied by Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) special officer Deepak Sahay levied fines as per state municipal act (Jharkhand Municipal Act 2011).
SDO Dhalbhum Suraj Kumar said that despite repeated warnings the shopkeepers failed to remove extensions of their shops. As per state municipal act for illegal extensions of shopkeepers outside their territory on the pavements fines were taken from them. The drive will continue in all the Sakchi market area. Similar drive in Bistupur and other commercial hubs.
The drive, which was continuing till the filing of this report, had fined nearly 80 shops in different parts of the Sakchi.
�We have constituted five teams comprising tax inspectors who are measuring the size of illegal extensions and levying fines. Most of the shops have been fined Rs 2000 each as per provision of the State Municipal Act. We will be inspecting the Sakchi market after 48 hours and again start levying fines if shopkeepers do not remove the illegal extensions on their own,� said JNAC special officer Deepak Sahay.
Moreover, the district administration has decided to conduct weekly monitoring of commercial hubs at Sakchi and Bistupur to inspect illegal extension and encroachment by shopkeepers during the festive season.
Dhalbhum SDO said that they have been receiving complains that the vendors had have restarted selling their products on footpaths while shopkeepers and retail establishments put up extensions on drains and lanes at commercial hubs even after eviction drive by administration at Sakchi and Bistupur market the shopkeepers are flouting the guidelines.
�We did our best to clean the market of illegal extensions and pavement vendors at Sakchi and Bistupur. But still vendors and shopkeepers have started violating laws,� said Kumar.
According to district administration officials the police have been asked to keep an eye in the Jugsalai area for, it is the most vulnerable zone as far illegal transaction of fire crackers are concerned.
According to sources, around 90 shops were fined and a total of around Rs 1.85 lakh were realized during the operation which continued till 3 pm.
The SDO said that they have also decided to finalise a spot in Sakchi for pavement vendors near Mills and Godown Area of Sakchi so that they can carry out their trade at this designated spot instead of putting up stocks on the pavements illegally.
�The re-encroachment of pavements by temporary vendors at Sakchi market is a matter of great concern.
The permanent shopkeepers have been complaining of the menace. Steps need to be taken to ease the areas.
Encroachment in the city is thriving, much to the discomfort of the ordinary citizen. Be it the road, parks, pavements, markets or public land taken over in the name of religion, the city is known for the encroachments which blot the urban landscape� noted a local resident.