Kathmandu, November 8:

The committee, formed by the Home Ministry to identify appropriate area to relocate the agitating street vendors, will submit its final report to the Home Ministry within three days.

“The streets in the Kathmandu Valley will be free from vendors within six months and they will be allowed to continue their businesses in some other places,” said Keshav Sthapit, the coordinator of the one-member panel. Sthapit has urged the government to manage Saturday market in certain places for the vendors, he said.

The former mayor of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City is of the view that the street vendors are the service providers to many people and their problem should fall under the government’s priority.

Mooting registration process for the vendors once the report was submitted, the committee has contemplated on providing identity cards for them.

Sthapit said his study has found involvement of three “mafia” groups and different clubs in capturing pavements.

“Around 4,500 street vendors in the capital were surveyed, but only around 150 vendors came into contact when they were asked for registration of their temporary settlements,” Sthapit said.

“This clearly shows that the streets are in the grip of those mafia who are against coming under tax system,” he added.

He said the vendors in Tudikhel would be evicted, as they were supposed to run business there until Tihar.

“We studied the places unoccupied by vendors in the Valley through satellite images,” he said.

“The committee has already held talks with the stakeholders and we will discuss with different ministries for the effective implementation of the report,” he added.