Chandigarh MC goes after encroachers, illegal vendors as crackdown gains steam

The Municipal Corporation (MC) of Chandigarh has increased its crackdown on people who encroach on public spaces—especially illegal street vendors and shopkeepers who display their goods outside their allotted areas. This campaign is part of a citywide push to make walkways and footpaths cleaner and more accessible.

Over the past two months, the MC has issued 5,046 challans (fines) to violators, almost twice the number it issued in the same period last year. These fines were given to street vendors who were selling without a licence and to shopkeepers who were putting their products on sidewalks, corridors, and even walls and ceilings.

In April and May 2024, the MC had issued 2,885 challans. But in the same two months in 2025, the number jumped to over 5,000. This shows how serious the problem has become and how determined the city is to fix it.

Large fines collected

In April 2025 alone, 2,500 challans were given, and the MC collected ₹30 lakh in fines. The next month, May, saw another 2,546 challans, bringing in nearly ₹25 lakh. Even in March 2025, the MC issued 2,655 challans, collecting over ₹32 lakh.

The violators include both unlicensed street vendors and shopkeepers who put their merchandise outside their shops. This causes problems for pedestrians and blocks walking paths in crowded markets.

Some areas are more affected than others. The MC is especially focusing on Sectors 15, 17, 19, 22, and 41. These are busy commercial markets where shoppers often find it hard to move freely due to vendors and items on the footpaths. The crackdown is also happening in other parts of the city, but these areas are the current focus.

Interestingly, during the festive season in September, October, and November 2024, when crowds in markets are high due to festivals like Diwali, the number of challans was actually lower. In September 2024, the MC issued only 1,393 challans. In October, it was 1,216, and in November, it was 1,284. These numbers are far below the 2,500+ challans being issued now every month.

Officials say this may have been due to a more relaxed approach during the festive months. But now, the MC is serious about making public spaces cleaner and more organized all year round.

The daily crackdown efforts are being led under the orders of Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar. According to Joint Commissioner Sumit Sihag, the MC is running daily anti-encroachment drives and issuing fines without delay.

To make these operations more effective, the MC is also increasing its enforcement team size. They plan to double the current staff strength and have already deployed dedicated inspectors in Sectors 15, 19, and 22. These inspectors are now fully responsible for catching violators in their assigned areas.

Sihag said the goal is not just to punish violators but to create a system where order is maintained and public spaces are not misused.

Smart solutions for long-term change

To solve the problem permanently, the MC is introducing smart solutions. These include the issuance of smart ID cards for all registered street vendors. These cards will help officials quickly identify who is authorized to sell and who isn’t.

These smart cards will be chip-based and include holograms to prevent forgery. The MC is also working on geofencing vending zones, using real-time CCTV surveillance, and launching a mobile tracking app. Together, these technologies will make it easier to monitor where vendors are operating and ensure that rules are followed.

This system is meant to bring more transparency to street vending. It will also make enforcement easier, since data will be available in real time. The idea is to give legal vendors space to work while keeping illegal ones off public land.

One of the most serious issues continues to be Sector 17, which was declared a no-vending zone back in 2019, along with Sectors 1 to 6. Despite this, unauthorized vendors are still setting up stalls there every day. These vendors often ignore the rules, and their presence makes it difficult for both pedestrians and shopkeepers.

The same situation is seen in parking lots, corridors, and even road berms across the city, where vendors operate without fear. Shoppers say it becomes tough to walk freely, and in some cases, even emergency services face blockages.

Many shopkeepers are also part of the problem. Instead of keeping their goods inside their stores, they extend them outside onto walkways. This kind of encroachment is being fined just as strictly as street vending without a licence.

City officials say that encroachment affects everyone. People can’t walk safely on footpaths. Traffic slows down. Cleanliness suffers. Even shopkeepers who follow the rules are affected because their stores are blocked by others who don’t.

The MC believes that with regular enforcement and smart monitoring, the city can make its public spaces clean and usable again. The aim is not just to collect fines, but to bring order to the city’s markets.

The long-term plan includes proper registration of all vendors, enforcement through technology, and fair treatment for those who follow the law. Officials believe this will also improve the shopping experience in Chandigarh and make it a more organized city.

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Future steps

The MC has said that this crackdown will continue and get stricter in the coming months. They will soon launch a full digital vendor monitoring system, and increase coordination between departments to prevent illegal vending.

There are also plans to carry out awareness campaigns to educate vendors about the new rules and how to apply for licences. Special camps may be held to help street vendors get registered easily.

At the same time, enforcement teams will continue with their daily checks, and more zones may be declared off-limits for vending in the future.

By taking both tough action and offering smart systems, the Chandigarh MC hopes to make long-term improvements in how public spaces are used in the city.