Day 1 of 3-day deadline: Hawkers’ resistance continues in New Mkt
Times of India | 13 January 2024
Kolkata: Several hawkers in the New Market area on Friday came out against the pushback plan adopted by the Town Vending Committee (TVC) for those who are still occupying carriageways and lion’s share of pavements.
A TVC meeting held at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation headquarters on Thursday adopted a resolution to give a 72-hour ultimatum to the hawkers in the New Market area, asking them to fall in line and remove their wares from the carriageways and leave 2/3 space on pavement free for the pedestrians.
Accordingly, the KMC brass on Thursday asked cops to start a campaign in the area, asking the hawkers to make the carriageways and pavements encroachment-free. TOI witnessed cops issuing warning against encroachment of roads and pavements in areas like Humayun Place, Bertram Street and Lindsay Street. An officer of the New Market PS, who was sent to carry the message of the TVC to the hawkers, said that while a section of the hawkers agreed to remove their dallas from carriageways by the next two days, some simply said they would not be able to do that as they had no space to shift.
“We were instructed to convey the decisions of the TVC to the hawkers who are rigid. But if any hawker refuses to shift from carriageways or illegally occupy a greater portion of a pavement, we will be compelled to take action against the hawker from Monday,” said the officer.
Sheikh Sikandar, a hawker who sells soft toys on Humayun Place, expressed his concern over the TVC decision that will lead to shifting of more than 60% hawkers from the New Market area. “We are not against the state or the KMC. But before evicting us, we want to check the rehabilitation package that the TVC may offer,” said Sikandar.
However, according to the KMC secretary Harihar Prasad Mondal, who is one of the key functionaries of the TVC, going by the vending rules, no hawker will lose their business.
“We want to assure the hawkers in the New Market area that we will need to enforce the vending rules and remove hawkers from carriageways and those illegally occupying pavements. But, the hawkers who may be removed, will be rehabilitated either in the same region or elsewhere according to availability of space. No hawker will be removed without a rehabilitation plan,” said Mondal.