After encroaching footpaths, many shops in Silchar now exhibiting products on roads!

July 3: Traffic jam in Silchar has now become an everyday affair. Things assume a much more complex shape with haphazard parking by the public and display of products by a section of shopkeepers over the footpaths, thereby causing great difficulties for the pedestrians. During the present phase of Covid pandemic, when the government has directed to maintain social distance, such display of products even on the main streets results in crowding of the area. Such display of products is adding more hardships to the commuters and becoming a major cause of traffic jam. However, Silchar Municipal Board (SMB) is yet to take action against such erring shopkeepers.

On Saturday morning, such a scene was witnessed in the heart of Silchar town in Janiganj. Shops were seen to display their products on the street. This is not the case with just one single shop. But many shops, especially in Janiganj and Shillongpatty area of Silchar were found to exhibit such acts, which becomes a major cause of chaos in the town. Moreover, when there is no specific parking space in the town, such type of illegal encroachment of footpaths and roads definitely results in traffic jam.

In certain parts of the town, as in Janiganj, even two wheelers belonging to the people of the area were seen to be nicely covered and parked on the footpaths. Are the footpaths meant for parking? Are the footpaths and roads meant for display of products by shopkeepers? Well,it’s for the law enforcing authorities to take appropriate action and allow people their right to use the pavements and the streets.

Concerned citizens have expressed the view that such type of behaviour should not evade the eyes of the civic authorities. It is in this regard that Silchar Municipal Board (SMB) has got a major role to play. “What seems in this case is that the area of Janiganj is just a stone’s throw from Silchar Sadar Police Station, which also houses the traffic branch. Appropriate action against such acts by shopkeepers must be taken both by the traffic police and also by SMB,” said an Advocate who has been practicing in District Court since last 2 decades.

There is definitely a need of widening the streets of the town and ear marking of specific parking lots (not as it is done now along the side streets by SMB), but along with these steps there is a need of understanding our responsibilities as citizens. Liberty is indeed more a social matter than individual. When the shopkeepers think that they have the liberty to display their products on the pavements and roads, the pedestrians and vehicle drivers too have their liberty to walk and move freely without any obstruction. It’s high time that the custodians of law and civil order take up these issues and strictly impose the rule of law.