Chandigarh, May 30 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) to establish a vendors' cell for ensuring their welfare and preventing genuine vendors from getting harmed.

The high court bench of justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and justice Meenakshi I Mehta passed these directions while dismissing petitions from Manimajra Vyapar Mandal and a Residential Welfare Association (RWA) in Manimajra. The court also slapped a cost of Rs.50,000 on each, which would be deposited to the MC for being used for the welfare of street vendors and their families.

"The petition, prime facie, appears to be a motivated petition with a view to use the legal forum for evicting and destabilising the local business ...