Kolkata: A decision by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to extend the deadline for removal of hawkers illegally selling wares on streets around New Market could become a possible flashpoint with traders in the belt deciding to go ahead with a half-day closure on Wednesday. A section of traders are also planning to set up stalls on the road on Thursday to directly take on hawkers.
The KMC had initially asked hawkers to clear the carriageway on Humayun Place, Lindsay Street and Hogg Street by Monday. But with a section of hawkers unwilling to vacate the space they occupied and the rest demanding rehabilitation in the area, KMC decided to extend the deadline till Wednesday, the same day that traders of New Market and other markets in the locality will hit the streets to air their grievances against illegal hawking around the heritage market.
According to a source in the town vending committee, the deadline was extended since it was felt forcibly removing the hawkers on Monday could lead to a law-and-order issue. Bertram Street had been kept out of the eviction purview fearing hostile response of the hawkers who occupy nearly 70% of the carriageway there.
According to plans, the traders of New Market, Sreeram Arcade, Chowringhee shopping arena and Firpo’s Market, under the umbrella of Joint Traders Federation (JTF), will down their shutters on Wednesday and assemble at Simpark. “We will begin our march from Simpark, take a tour of the areas adjacent to New Market and end back at Simpark. Then we will handover a charter of demands to the municipal commissioner at the KMC headquarters,” said Uday Shaoo, the secretary of S S Hogg Market Traders Association.
Lending support to the traders’ agitation, secretary of Federation of Traders Organization Tarak Nath Trivedi on Monday said, “It is a matter of regret that despite efforts to make KMC understand that business of traders in the New Market area is dwindling because of rampant encroachment of carriageways and pavements, no effective step has been taken. We will need to wait for a while and will then join the agitation of traders under the JTF banner.”
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