Garhwal Post Bureau
Mussoorie, 2 Apr: A new controversy has erupted in Mussoorie regarding the Bakery Hill car parking facility. The Mussoorie Labour Union has accused the Municipal Council of displacing workers from the parking site to establish a “Vendor Zone” for street vendors. The union argues that this move will not only deprive numerous workers of their livelihoods but also exacerbate the already severe parking crisis in the city. The Labour Union has lodged a strong protest against this decision by submitting a memorandum to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).
The union states that, under the 1996 Hand-Pulled Rickshaw Abolition Scheme, employment opportunities were arranged at the Bakery Hill, Motilal Nehru Road, and Company Bagh parking sites to rehabilitate 326 workers affected by the ban. Additionally, while many workers were provided cycle rickshaws, some were given assurances of permanent jobs—promises that remain unfulfilled to this day. According to the union, many rickshaw workers continue to rely on these very arrangements for their sustenance. If a Vendor Zone is established at the parking site, dozens of workers will once again be rendered jobless. Furthermore, the city’s traffic management and parking crisis will intensify.
Labour leader Sanjay Tamta asserted that setting up kiosks at parking sites would also have a negative impact on Mussoorie’s natural beauty and its image as a tourist destination. He suggested that alternative locations be arranged for the street vendors. He noted that provisions for the welfare of labourers in Mussoorie date back to the British era, when residential colonies and means of employment were developed specifically for them; however, he lamented that the interests of the labourers are currently being disregarded. The Labour Union has categorically stated that, if the Municipal Council does not revoke this decision, they will be compelled to resort to protests and strikes—for which the entire responsibility will rest with the administration.
