The committee, which is yet to decide on provision of civic facilities, has suggested charging a nominal fee of Rs 30 and Rs 20 from the rehri and phari vendors, respectively, for the sale of fruits, vegetables and other consumer items.

Senior MC deputy mayor and committee member Kanhaya Lal Sharma told Newsline that a high-powered committee consisting of senior Punjab Mandi Board officials and Municipal Corporators, including Apni Mandi Committee members, would make an on-the-spot assessment of this coming Friday's Ram Darbar Apni Mandi; thereafter they submit market policy recommendations to the 29-member House. "Permitting rehri and phari vendors will generate additional fund for the Corporation," he said.

The present recommendations, made at the committee's meeting held here yesterday, will be implemented if the House approves, said Mayor Kewal Krishan Adiwal, who was also present on the occasion. Besides councillors and MC officials, the meeting was also attended by officials of the Punjab Mandi Board.

The decision may be seen in light of the failure of the MC's Day Market scheme introduced in 1998.

Citing reasons why the Day Market scheme failed, Sharma said that the previous scheme, floated during the tenure of former Mayor Gian Chand Gupta, was intended to accommodate Sector 22 phari owners displaced by an anti-encroachment drive conducted by the MC Enforcement Wing. For the proposed parallel markets, participating vendors will be issued photo I-cards and the MC will provide water, electricity and toilet facilities.

Justifying the recommendation he said: "It is impossible to stop rehri and phariwalas from selling their wares on encroached land; hence, we decided to legalise these temporary bazaars and collect revenue for the Corporation."Presently, rehri and phari owners take advantage of the crowds attracted by Apni Mandis to sell their wares. They pay no market fee and their presence at the mandi is unauthorised.

While SJP councillor Satinder Dhawan hailed the decision and termed it a wise step and beneficial to rehri and phari vendors, BJP councillor Ranjana Shahi described the decision as "politically motivated".

More than 10 years ago the Punjab Mandi Board set up producer-consumer direct sale outlets, called Apni Mandis, to raise the earnings of Punjab's fruit and vegetable producers and lower cost to consumers by eliminating the profiteering middlemen. Now, some 12 Apni Mandis are conducted in different parts of the city. The farmers have been issued photo I-cards to avoid infiltration by the outsiders and rates are fixed by Board officials on the basis of rates collected from Sector 26 market, says a senior Mandi Board official.