KATHMANDU, JULY 7
Kathmandu Metropolitan City has clarified that it does not have the policy of allowing the operation of any sort of business on the footpath.
The KMC policy states that no goods and commodities, including foodstuff, can be sold and distributed from the roadside or on the footpath at any time.
Talking to the RSS, KMC Police Chief Dhanapati Sapkota said footpath management was one of the prime responsibilities given by the KMC to the Metropolitan Police.
"The pavement is for pedestrians. It is not made for running shops and stalls. Those operating shops and stalls without obeying this rule have been hauled and their goods confiscated," KMC Police Chief said, reminding that newly-elected Mayor Balendra Shah had announced that businesses run on the footpath during the time of filing his candidacy would be managed.
Shah was elected KMC mayor through the municipal election held a couple of months ago. It is also stated in the Policy and Programmes for the next fiscal year passed by the KMC municipal assembly on June 22 that businesses operating on the footpath would be controlled.
"We have moved forward the work as per the decision of the KMC Executive. There's no reason to protest regarding the matter. What's the point in protesting when we have carried out our job in line with the Municipal Executive's decision? It is also our responsibility to transform the business operated on the footpath so that they come under the ambit of tax," Sapkota elaborated.
Stating that it was natural to deal with criticisms while carrying out works, he said the KMC had only been controlling encroachment on the roads and pavements. "Business operated on the pavement or roads will be affected when the authorities try to control encroachment," he said. The KMC Police Chief said he had taken such comments and criticisms as obvious.
He insisted that the work on footpath management had been expedited as per the interest of the general public. Sapkota said, "Running a business using the street is not positive in any sense. The policy of the KMC mentions that no one is allowed to run business in the street round-theclock and if it has been taking place somewhere, it is being operated clandestinely. KMC will take initiative to bring all of them under the ambit of law in the coming days."
"The city police has been focusing on bringing the vendors under control in the morning and evening when the movement of people is high," he opined. The KMC faced mounting criticism after a video of the city police confiscating good from a couple selling maize on the street and misbehaving with the couple was uploaded on social media.
The KMC has been working to control street encroachment by deploying four teams on a daily basis. Mostly, the streets of Sundhara, New Road, Baneshwor, Koteshwor, Gaushala, Chabahil, New Bus Park, Balaju, Kalanki and Kalimati are being encroached.
"The KMC was compelled to take such action after its frequent requests not to run any business encroaching the street were ignored," Sapkota argued. According to the KMC, goods confiscated from the vendors are put up for auction.
Similarly, goods that become stale easily as well as fruits, vegetables and flammable substances are returned to the concerned businessman after taking fine from them.
In the current fiscal year, the local government has proceeded with the sale of confiscated goods at an auction and in the previous fiscal year, goods including iron items, hoarding boards, bicycles and carts worth Rs 5.2 million were sold at an auction, he said.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 8, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
