CHANDIGARH, June 13 -- The Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has intensified its drive against illegal vendors and shopkeepers encroaching public space in markets by issuing as many as 5,046 challans to violators over the past two months. The crackdown is targeting street vendors operating without licences and shopkeepers displaying their goods outside their designated premises, encroaching upon footpaths and walkways, not even sparing walls and ceilings in some places. As per official data, in April and May 2024, MC had issued 2,885 challans to the violators, a number which has risen to 5,046 in the same period this year - a nearly two-fold jump. In April, 2,500 challans were issued, contributing Rs.30 lakh to the MC's revenue via fines, while May saw a further 2,546 challans, adding nearly Rs.25 lakh to the civic body's coffers. Even in March 2025, MC had slapped 2,655 challans, generating over Rs.32 lakh in fines. The crackdown is particularly focused on commercial markets in Sectors 15, 17, 19, 22 and 41. Apart from illegal street vendors, a substantial number of challans has been served to shopkeepers who routinely display their products outside their stores, effectively blocking public movement. In contrast, during the festive months of September to November 2024, when footfall in markets was naturally high due to Diwali and other celebrations, the challaning remained comparatively low. Only 1,393 challans were issued in September, followed by 1,216 in October and 1,284 in November-all well below the 2,500-mark seen in the recent months. "On the orders of municipal commissioner Amit Kumar, we are conducting anti-encroachment drives daily and are challaning the violators. To bolster operations, we have decided to increase the strength of the enforcement staff, aiming to at least double the existing workforce. We have now deployed one dedicated inspector in Sectors 15, 19 and 22, each, so that violators can be fined," said joint commissioner Sumit Sihag. As a long-term solution to regulate street vending and curb the growing menace of illegal vendors, MC is also introducing a comprehensive monitoring system, starting with the issuance of smart identification cards to all registered vendors. This new initiative, designed to restore order to the city's vending system, brings together several cutting-edge technologies to ensure transparency and efficient enforcement, including hologram-embedded certificates, chip-based ID cards, geofencing of vending zones, a mobile tracking app and real-time CCTV surveillance. It is pertinent to mention that despite repeated enforcement drives by MC, unregistered vendors continue to occupy footpaths, road berms, corridors and even parking spaces, obstructing pedestrian movement and posing inconvenience to both shoppers and shopkeepers. Sector 17, which has been declared a no-vending zone, along with Sectors 1 to 6, since 2019, continues to witness unlicensed vendors operating with impunity....