PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The traders’ body in Dehradun-Doon Valley Mahanagar Udyog Vyapar Mandal (DVMUVM)- has recently approached the mayor, Saurabh Thapliyal to initiate immediate shifting of Sunday Market from Rangers Ground, stating that the operation of the market from that venue has been negatively affecting the businesses of the shopkeepers in Paltan Bazaar. The local community has also joined the traders’ body in flagging concerns over the venue of the Sunday market. They say that the operation of the market from the nerve centre of the city keeps triggering frequent traffic logjam, adding that they are finding it difficult to reach Paltan Bazaar due to the same.
The shopkeepers argue that those trading in the Sunday Market offer lower-priced goods. This is resulting in decline in their sales in Paltan Bazaar: runs the common refrain among the grumbling traders from the oldest market of Dehradun.
In light of these issues, the DVMUVM has recently contacted the mayor and submitted a letter to the chief minister via the district magistrate. “We have recently met the mayor and submitted a letter to the chief minister through the office of the district magistrate,” said the president, DVMUVM, Pankaj Masson.
He further said that the Sunday market location lacks designated parking, leading many individuals to park on the roads, further worsening the traffic issues. “Most importantly, the traders who sell goods at the Sunday Market offer prices lower than what we do for the same goods. The general customers do not care much about quality and prefer to shop there, shunning us. We thus keep incurring losses,” he added.
Queried on the response of the mayor to their plea, he said that it was positive. “The mayor told us that they were looking for an alternative location outside the city for the market’s relocation. He further assured us that the Rangers’ Ground would be shifted at the earliest. However, we hope that it will not sit after next Sunday. We will be relieved if this happens and if not, we will stage a demonstration,” he added.
Supporting DVMUVM demand, a local, Manish said that his family often plans to visit Jakhan to chill out on Sundays. “But the traffic snarl we are most likely to face on the roads scares us into postponing plans. The relocation of the Sunday market outside the city is an imperative for traders, customers and residents alike,” he averred.
