Kolkata: Hawkers continued to swarm Bertram Street on Monday evening, occupying entire pavements and a big chunk of the carriageway, defying attempts by police to rein them in earlier in the day. The Town Vending Committee had on Thursday given police a three-day deadline to clean up the streets around New Market. That deadline expired on Sunday evening. But on Monday evening, the scene was no different than Thursday's.
A morning drive by cops on Humayun Place, Lindsay Street, Bertram Street and Hogg Street did see the carriageways being cleared for traffic and pedestrians. But the same hawkers were back to reoccupy the space in the evening. A TOI survey of Bertram Street on Tuesday evening showed over 60% of the carriageway was encroached by hawkers. According to Mohammed Safi, who sells readymade garments, there was no option for him but to stick to the carriageway as he had not been allocated an alternative site that civic authorities had promised three months ago. "I won't leave the space till I am given another space as I have to run a family," said Safi.
Their efforts foiled, Kolkata Police officers said they were looking at twin drives, one around noon and another early in the evening to keep the place free of encroachers. "Despite our efforts, hawkers trickle back in the evening," an officer said.
On Monday, multiple teams of uniformed police officers raided the streets around New Market between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm, removing stalls. TOI accompanied the team and found the hawkers removing their wares. But they were back by afternoon.
Md Javed, who sets up his fruit stall at the Lindsay Street-Bertram Street crossing, was removed in the afternoon. He didn't protest. But once the eviction team went away, he was back. He was again evicted by an evening eviction team. "The cops are doing their job and I am doing mine. I don't think there is any point in protesting. This is the way I have been doing business since the middle of this year and now I have got used to it," he said.
Md Mehtab Alam, who sells bags on Bertram Street, also had to shift his temporary stall during the afternoon drive but was back soon. "I don't want to do business like this. I was promised a spot by the authorities during the last survey but am yet to get it," said Alam.
Hawker Sangram committee chief Saktiman Ghosh, a member of the TVC, questioned the role of cops in implementing the TVC decision. "When chief minister Mamata Banerjee and mayor Firhad Hakim have stated time and again that under no circumstances should the hawkers be allowed to encroach on the carriageways, what holds the cops back from discharging their duties?" Ghosh asked.