Remove street vendors off diamond mkts: Diamantaires

SURAT: Surat Diamond Association (SDA) and Surat Diamond Brokers' Association (SDBA) have demanded zero encroachment in the diamond markets at Varachha and Mahidhapura and marking of yellow strips for vehicle parking.
The office-bearers of SDA and SDBA said on Saturday that the small alleys in the diamond markets at Varachha and Mahidhapura were encroached upon by roadside vendors, fruit sellers and paanwalas which cause traffic snarls and affect diamond business.They met deputy mayor Shankerlal Chevli and submitted a memorandum to him saying this was affecting their diamond business which runs into crores of rupees and also threatens their security. Diamantaires said both the diamond markets generate daily turnover of polished and rough diamonds to the tune of over Rs600 crore, but encroachment and haphazard parking leave little space for diamond brokers and merchants to do their business.
"We have urged the civic body to demarcate yellow strips for the vehicle parking. Those vehicles parked outside the yellow line should be towed away or confiscated. Also, nuisance of street vendors and paanwalas should be removed at the earliest to provide security to valuable diamond business," SDA president Dinesh Navadiya said.
SDBA president Nandlal Nakrani said, "It is our humble request to the civic body to drive out the street vendors from the diamond markets. We are dealing in valuable diamonds and it is question of our safety."