123 Kolkata: Cops from New Market police station conducted a surprise drive and removed hawkers from Bertram Street who were encroaching on the carriageways, flouting the hawking rules set by the Town Vending Committee (TVC). The surprise drive left a section of the hawkers baffled, unable to move with their wares. Some, sensing danger, managed to flee before the cops could confiscate their goods.
According to a TVC member, the surprise raid was the first such action by the cops on Bertram Street after a gap of three and a half months. "Taking advantage of the festive season, the hawkers started returning to Bertram Street, Humayun Place, Lindsay Street, Hogg Street, and other areas around the grade-I heritage market. By mid-October, the encroachment scenario turned worse," said the TVC member.
Saktiman Ghosh, a hawker union leader and a TVC member, felt the cops needed to be more vigilant to keep the carriageways encroachment-free. "Cops need to get tough with the hawkers who are trying to grab carriageways afresh," said Ghosh. However, a section of KMC officials and cops alleged that the presence of multiple hawker unions was complicating the encroachment issue.