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‘Livelihood at stake’: Traders oppose meat & tobacco ban in walled city
With the ban in place on the sale of meat and other non-vegetarian food items besides paan, tobacco products, liquor, etc, under the holy city tag for the walled city of Amritsar, the affected shopkeepers and vendors have decided to meet the deputy commissioner, the MC commissioner and the mayor
With the ban in place on the sale of meat and other non-vegetarian food items besides paan, tobacco products, liquor, etc, under the holy city tag for the walled city of Amritsar, the affected shopkeepers and vendors have decided to meet the deputy commissioner, the municipal corporation commissioner and the mayor on Tuesday. The decision to hand over a memorandum was taken at a meeting in Gol Bagh on Friday during which they expressed concern over their livelihood.
They said there were 5,000 sellers of meat and 200 dealing in the sale of tobacco products. “We respect the government’s decision to keep the sanctity and holiness of the city intact, but our concerns must be addressed,” said Saranjit Singh, one of the shopkeepers.
They said instead of covering the entire walled city, the government should demarcate the surroundings of the holy places like Sri Darbar Sahib and Durgiana Mandir.
During a survey conducted by the municipal corporation, 110 shops and street vendors were identified which are to be removed from the walled city.
Meanwhile, retired bureaucrat Jagmohan Singh Raju, describing the government’s notification dated December 15 as historic and long overdue, on Friday wrote to chief minister Bhagwant Mann, seeking a rehabilitation policy for shopkeepers, vendors and workers affected by the prohibition.
He said the CM must direct the administration to immediately identify and survey the affected persons and establishments, provide alternative business sites or zones and extend financial assistance, compensation or livelihood support during the transition period.
As chairman of KS Raju Legal Trust, he had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking the holy city status for Amritsar and demanding steps be taken for the preservation of cultural heritage of the city.
Last month, the high court sought response from the Punjab government while taking up the petition that also demanded that the state government be directed to notify a complete ban on the sale/consumption of cigarette/tobacco products, liquor and meat within the city limits and quash a decision of the government dated June 25 whereby his demand for the same was rejected.
The chief minister had on Sunday announced that the state government issued a notification granting the status of holy cities to the walled city of Amritsar, Talwandi Sabo and Anandpur Sahib.
