Doing business on streets is illegal, Balen tells Iih

KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah has told social campaigner Ishan Adhikari, who is known by his moniker Iih, that conducting business on sidewalks, streets, and rights of way is illegal.

In a social media post addressed at Iih on Wednesday, Balen argued that even the allocation of specific times for street vendors wouldn’t be effective, as it would adversely affect a wide range of people, including those with disabilities, pregnant women, and individuals in emergencies.

Iih has been standing in front of City Hall in Kathmandu for the past eight days, demanding alternative arrangements for street vendors who have been displaced from Kathmandu’s alleys and streets by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC).

“Not only the Mayor, but even the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers cannot permit the use of public land for trade purposes as per existing laws. KMC attempted to provide a space for street vendors at Bhrikuti Mandap, but it failed to resolve the issue,” Balen wrote.

Balen also criticized political leaders who have expressed solidarity with Iih’s campaign, labeling the act as politics of opportunism. “The existing laws, drafted by these leaders, do not allow for street vending. They are not making any legislative efforts to address the issue,” he added.

Balen also claimed that KMC lacks the authority to fulfill demands raised by Iih. “The constitution, Public Roads Act, and other related issues aren’t something that we can change,” he said. Balen also said that using roads and sidewalks, which were built by acquiring people’s land and houses, for purposes other than their intended ones would be a violation of existing laws.