The Sylhet City Corporation authorities have taken an initiative to build iron railings along the city streets so that the vendors cannot
reoccupy the reclaimed footpaths.
Sources in the Nagar Bhaban have said the authorities decided to construct iron railings gradually along all main roads in the city centre to keep the footpaths free of street vendors. ‘Initially the corporation has started installing iron fence along the footpaths in front the Nagar Bhaban compound, Sylhet head post office and Lalbazar Chicken Market at Bandarbazar in the city because of fund shortages,’ an SCC official said.
The city dwellers said the city footpaths were under the occupation of hawkers for long, which was causing serious sufferings to the commuters.
Even the businesspersons and owners of markets and shops in the city have been demanding eviction of the hawkers from city streets, though the authorities concerned did not take then any effective step to address the issue.
The newly elected mayor, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, however, took the step to free the city footpaths from encroachment of floating vendors immediately after he took charge on September 18.
‘The street vendors already removed their makeshift shops from the footpaths amid repeated protests and demonstrations staged by them for rehabilitation before eviction,” SCC chief engineer Nur Azizur Rahman.
He said the construction of iron railings started as part of an effort to resist the street vendors from setting again their makeshift shops on the footpaths.
SCC chief engineer informed that construction of the railing started in a small area in absence of allocation in this regard.
‘Sustainable railing on the footpaths of all main roads in the city would be constructed after getting sufficient fund to implement the project,’ Nur Azizur Rahman said.
He added that the beautification in the city would be enhanced side-by-side easing movement of the citizens if the initiative was successful.
Being contacted, the city mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury told New Age that he had already requested the finance minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, to allocate sufficient fund for completion of the project.
-With New Age input
