Jaipur: City markets may miss their usual Diwali sparkle this year, with traders threatening to cancel collective decorations in protest against the Jaipur Municipal Corporation’s (JMC) action against advertisement gates installed on roads.Traders say the 11-day window allowed for installing and removing the gates is insufficient, but the civic body has ruled out any further extension.Earlier, traders were allowed seven days to put up and remove the gates. Mayor Sunil Kothari extended the period to 11 days after discussions with Jaipur Vyapar Mahasangh. However, the corporation recently took action in Vaishali Nagar and Chitrakoot after some traders began installing gates before the permitted period.Jaipur Vyapar Mandal patron Pawan Kumar Goyal alleged that all gates in Chitrakoot were demolished, while 13-14 gates in Vaishali Nagar were disrupted and work on unfinished structures was stopped.“Artisans available for installing Diwali gates are limited. After discussions, the corporation gave us 11 days, but that is not enough. Labourers return two to three days after Diwali, and the money earned from advertisements on the gates goes towards meeting the cost of decorations and lighting. It is not a source of profit,” Goyal said.He added that workers were allowed to install gates only after midnight but had to leave before 5 am, making it difficult to put up structures as wide as 150 feet.Goyal said traders in the city’s outer areas had decided to stop collective decorations if the action continued. Markets in Vaishali Nagar, Mansarovar, Gopalpura, Hawa Sadak and Khatipura could consequently miss their usual festive lights and decorations.Traders are also seeking an appointment with chief minister to submit a memorandum. They may decide against decorating the markets if the issue remains unresolved over the next one or two days.Kothari said the seven-day permission had been extended to 11 days after considering the time required to install and remove the gates. “Allowing advertisements 23 days in advance would cause a loss of revenue to the corporation. Therefore, the 11-day deadline is the same for everyone. We cannot make exceptions for some traders. We have urged the trade associations to reconsider their decision in the interest of Jaipur,” he said.
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