Vrindavan 2016.09.20 (VT): Area around Iskcon temple and Prem Madir is one of the most upmarket areas in Vrindavan. Thousands of devotees from round the world visit these two temples daily irrespective of weekends. But illegal encroachments by shopkeepers make it hard for the traffic circulation in the area. The worst is that the shopkeepers are even renting out the footpath ahead of their shops to small vendors to run their shop.
Devotees find it hard to even walk near Iskcon and Prem Mandir due to traffic congestion. No parking space at Iskcon and limited availability at Prem Mandir make it even harder, but the Police and City administration hasn’t taken any action yet to decongest the road. Shopkeepers have also illegally encroached around half a kilometre of public space beside road by hand driven carts of small vendors or by chairs.
A local vendor selling lemon juice in front of Iskcon said that he pays Rs. 300 daily to the shopkeeper so that he can put his cart ahead of his shop and sell his products. The situation is same at Prem Mandir where the parking contractor collects money so that the small vendors of hand-driven carts can stand on footpath and sell their products.
These vendors said that the Police know the situation but many times it doesn’t act or act in favour of shopkeepers only.
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