A study conducted by a committee commissioned by Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) shows traders are offering up to Rs 400,000 for a space on footpaths in major streets of the lake city. [break]Traders are scrambling to get a space on footpaths along major streets like Chipledhunga, Bagar, Prithwi Chowk and Amarsingh Chowk.
“Footpath spaces are selling like hotcakes. We have found that a footpath shop has been sold for more than 16 times,” said Sanjiv Bahadur Koirala, president of PCCI.
Koirala, who is also the coordinator of the committee, said around 800 footpath shops in Pokhara are being frequently sold to different persons for higher prices.
According to conservative estimate, there are around 3,000 footpath shops in Pokhara.
“We have estimated that total transaction of footpath shops over the past few years hovers near Rs 300 million,” added Koirala.
However, owners of footpath shops have refuted the report, saying that footpath spaces are not sold with profit motive. “Some owners may have sold their spaces due to personal reasons,” said a footpath vendor.
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