Roadside vendors can finally look forward to run their trade from the swanky and new Atal Smriti Vendor Market on the premises of Jaipal Singh Stadium in Kutchery.

Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) on Thursday started allotting shops to the vendors through lottery. Around 600 vendors of Main Road, who run their shops on the stretch between Kutchery Chowk and Sarjana Chowk, turned up at the newly constructed vending market.

“The process is likely to continue tomorrow (Friday). We are scrutinising all the documents to prevent any anomalies. We are also verifying the names of the vendors,” said an RMC official.

Under the process each vendor has to pick a chit, containing the shop number, from a drop box.

Earlier, RMC had carried out a survey to ascertain the number of vendors who run their shops between Kutchery Chowk and Sarjana Chowk. Later many vendors complained that their names were not present in the list.

Thereafter a provisional list was made where the total number of vendors was found to be 752. A survey was again conducted and 523 vendors were found to be genuine.

Among 523 vendors, vendors selling fruits, vegetables, fish, egg, junk food and the likes will not be allocated space at the market.

“As many as 417 vendors will finally be eligible for the allotment process. We have 478 shops, out of which 357 shops will currently be allotted. We will accommodate all the genuine vendors. Vendors from the same family will be treated as a single unit. The selected vendors can start running their shops from tomorrow (Friday),” said Vikash Shukla, an official of RMC.

When asked what will happen to the remaining 121 shops, Shukla said, “Few years back RMC had removed around 60 roadside vendors at Kutchery Chowk. We

plan to accommodate them in future.”

He added. “As far as vendor of fruits, vegetables, egg, fish and junk food sellers are concerned, another vending market has been proposed at Nagababa Khatal.”

Ranchi deputy mayor Sanjeev Vijayvargiya termed the initiative a pre-Holi gift from RMC to vendors. “I hope from now on there will be less traffic congestion on Main Road as vendors have finally got their own space,” said deputy mayor.