Lucknow, Aug 19 (IANS) Vegetable and fruit sellers, barbers and cobblers, who set up make-shift stalls on roadsides, will soon get their own space in shopping centres in this Uttar Pradesh capital.
Aiming to provide a “respectable place to street vendors”, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has come up with a project of setting up shopping centres for shopkeepers not having deep pockets.

“Cobblers, washermen, vegetable and fruit vendors, barbers and owners of other types of roadside joints would get a place in shopping centres that would come up in a phased manner in parts of Lucknow,” LDA vice-chairman Mukesh Kumar Meshram told IANS Wednesday.

According to officials, the upcoming shopping centres for small shopkeepers would serve a dual purpose.

“First, it will provide a hassle-free environment to street vendors, who at times have to face problems and fight for space in order to put up their stalls. And secondly, the project will contribute to efforts aimed at removing encroachments in the city,” said Meshram.

Several localities in the city, particularly those in the Old Lucknow area, face a space crunch due to the encroachments that have come up in the form of roadside shops and make-shift joints.

“Usually commercial complexes are out of reach for small shopkeepers. But their role is no less important in society. Taking this into account, we have decided to set up such shopping centres in our housing schemes for economically weaker sections that will help them diversify their income in a conducive environment,” the LDA official said.

Though no deadline has been fixed for setting up such shopping centres, sources in the LDA say construction would start in a month’s time. The commercial outlets would be available in varied sizes and prices would start from Rs.40,000.

LDA would also assist shopkeepers in getting loans from banks so that they own an outlet in these shopping centres.

“To help small shopkeepers, we would organise special loan melas where banks would lend money to buyers. Banks would also give loan in case an allotee is unable to arrange for the required money,” an official said.