Written by Jasbir Malhi Mohali | Updated: June 7, 2025 09:59 IST 2 min readUnauthorised vendor stalls set up in Mohali’s Phase 7 on Friday. (Express photo by Jasbir Malhi)In a decisive move against rampant illegal encroachments, the Mohali Municipal Corporation is set to launch ‘Operation Clean’, a large-scale crackdown aimed at clearing street vendors occupying public spaces across the city’s markets.Sources confirm that all preparations for the operation have been finalised, with municipal enforcement teams and police jointly executing the plan to maintain order in various phases and sectors.What started as a few hundred vendors has exploded over the years. A survey conducted by the civic body earlier recorded around 1,000 vendors, but officials now estimate the number has ballooned over ten times, drastically altering the commercial landscape.“These vendors have formed a mafia,” claim local shopkeepers, alleging that anyone who objects is silenced through collective intimidation. Even councillors admit that some shopkeepers are renting out space in front of their shops to these vendors, complicating the problem.Residents and traders argue that most vendors are not even from Mohali but commute from Chandigarh and surrounding areas. “We pay lakhs in rent and taxes to run our businesses, but these vendors illegally occupy public space, pay nothing, and undercut our prices, sometimes selling counterfeit goods,” said a Phase 3B2 showroom owner.Facing growing pressure, a delegation of shopkeepers recently met Municipal Commissioner Parminder Pal Singh to demand swift action. Singh said, “Daily enforcement drives are being carried out. We’re also collecting Aadhaar details of offenders and preparing a database of habitual encroachers.”He confirmed that a strategic, citywide campaign is in motion, backed by a recent reshuffle in the enforcement staff, and assured that illegal markets will soon be removed.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd