HC halts smart vending zone works on Old Jail Road

The proposed smart vending zone project on Old Jail Road, adjacent to City Central Park, has come to a standstill after the High Court directed authorities to immediately halt all construction activity.

The ₹6-crore project, taken up by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), was part of its initiative to rehabilitate street vendors displaced under “Operation Lungs”, which led to the removal of roadside shops and pushcarts to ease traffic congestion in the city.

As per the plan, smart vending zones were proposed at Yendada, Duvvada, and Old Jail Road, featuring container-style shops with civic amenities such as water supply, drainage, and electricity to be provided by GVMC. The funding model included support from the State government through MEPMA for container fabrication, GVMC’s share for infrastructure development, and bank loans to be repaid by beneficiaries.

In the Old Jail Road case, officials had begun work after a foundation stone was laid by local representatives near a site earlier used as a food court. The land, however, belongs to VMRDA, and while GVMC had sought permission for the project, no formal approval was issued.

Despite this, construction of around 200 shop units was taken up on the site, reportedly under local pressure. Allegations soon surfaced that prospective allottees were being charged between ₹1 lakh and ₹5 lakh with assurances of shop allocation, with complaints claiming the process resembled an informal auction rather than a transparent rehabilitation exercise.

Following petitions challenging the project’s legality, the High Court ordered an immediate stoppage of all works. The ruling has left both officials and aspiring beneficiaries in uncertainty, with the future of the vending zone now dependent on further legal and administrative clearances regarding land use and permissions.