New Delhi: The traders' association on Friday hailed the court verdict handing out life sentence to four men in the 1996 Lajpat Nagar blast case, but said the problem of illegal hawkers and encroachers still persists at the popular marketplace, which could pose a security threat.
Nearly 27 years after 13 people were killed and 38 injured in the bomb explosion at the bustling Lajpat Nagar market here, the Supreme Court on Thursday handed down life sentence to four convicts for the remainder of their lives without remission.
"Finally, justice has been delivered. It has been delayed, but not denied. We are happy that the culprits are being punished. However, we still feel we are not safe. The market is full of illegal hawkers, encroachers, squatters, rehri and patri wallas," said Ashwani Marwah, general secretary of Traders' Association Lajpat Nagar.
He said they had highlighted the issue on many occasions with different government bodies but it was not addressed.
The encroachment by hawkers is particularly noticeable on the J-Block Road, Veer Savarkar Marg (Central Market Area) and F G Road (Puspha Market Area), which is not only causing problems for pedestrian movement but also a direct threat to the safety and security of the shoppers and the shopkeepers, Marwah said.
"Our market is a non-squatting, non-hawking zone," he said, claiming that hawkers are allowed to operate in the market illegally and without their identity being ascertained. "Shoppers, residents and shopkeepers face a threat to their lives and livelihoods. We have written to various departments that our market should be cleared from all illegal encroachment. The entire market is congested and even an emergency vehicle can't enter in case of any eventuality. Hence, we are standing on the same situation as in 1996," Marwah stated. (PTI)
