New Delhi: Street vendors at the vegetable market in Delhi’s Najafgarh will now be required to display their names and contact details on their carts, as part of a new initiative aimed at addressing concerns over the presence of suspected illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar. The move was introduced by the local councillor and the market association after complaints about unidentified individuals selling produce in the area.
Apart from displaying their names, vendors will also need to list their phone numbers on nameplates attached to their carts, along with a unique “thela number” given by the market association. The decision came after a meeting between the market association and local councillor earlier this month.
It was prompted by reports of unauthorised sellers suspected to be illegal migrants. Local BJP councillor Amit Kharkhari said that the goal of the initiative is not to target or discriminate against any specific community but to ensure security and order within the market, PTI reported.
Identity verification by by Nov 20
Santosh Rajput, president of the Najafgarh Vyapar Mandal, said that all vendors will be required to submit identity documents, such as Aadhaar cards, for verification. These records will be kept by the market association and shared with local authorities, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the police. The market association has confirmed that there are approximately 300 vendors selling produce in the area and the verification process is expected to be completed by November 20.
Rajput said that the primary aim of the initiative is to streamline operations in the vegetable market. By displaying vendor information on their carts, the association hopes to allow customers to easily report any issues and also help identify unauthorised sellers. Information about suspected illegal migrants will be forwarded to the police and MCD for further action.
Non-compliant vendors barred from selling
Vendors who fail to comply with the new requirement will not be allowed to continue selling their goods in the market, Rajput added. Kharkhari said that the decision was a collective one, agreed upon by both the market association and locals. He said that the aim was strictly related to security concerns, with multiple complaints received about unauthorised individuals operating in the market.
