Hawkers’ policy gets a thumbs down from civic body, vendors’ association

The committee, which was initially very happy with the state taking some positive action for the 3-lakh plus hawkers, says some clauses in the draft policy are objectionable.

“In the meeting of the apex committee of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation in 2005, it was decided that hawkers should keep a distance of 5 ft from the entrance of schools, colleges, hospitals, universities and the like,” said Morad Hosain, the assistant secretary of Hawkers’ Sangram Committee. “But the new draft policy says hawkers cannot set up stalls at all in such places. We object to this clause.”

The committee is also demanding a review of the eviction policy in case of a government sponsored project. Unless a pavement or land is needed within the city for urgent public requirement, they will not indulge forceful eviction of the hawkers whenever they feel.

The new policy says hawkers can be evicted for security reasons by any competent authority,” said Hosain. “This is very ambiguous and can be misused for personal reasons by anybody, like the OC of the local police station, local councillor, etc.”

The hawkers’ committee, he said, will resist if the government tries to take back land and evict hawkers in the name of beautification or cosmetic changes.

“We are not against beautification, but even the Model Hawker Act passed by the Centre also says all beautification drives must be hawker-inclusive,” said Saktiman Ghosh, the committee secretary. “Hawkers will voluntarily shift if there is an urgent public need. But in such cases, the government or civic authorities must ensure their proper rehabilitation in the nearest possible spot.” 

Another significant demand of the committee is the withdrawal of restriction on hawking rights and place of hawking. The committee has demanded that under no circumstance a vendor should be displaced once a space is permanently earmarked for him or her. Also, under no circumstances can the government revoke licenses once a vendor is registered with the government or local civic body. The state, it said, should give more attention in its policy towards the 1.3 lakh food hawkers in the state.

“The policy says food and cracker hawkers have to obtain license from concerned government departments. But it should be remembered that they provide good, hygienic food at a price much lower than other metros. So the parameters for providing them with a license should be changed.”

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation, which has been entrusted with the responsibility of providing licenses to each of city’s 2.75 lakh hawkers, has also rejected the policy, saying it is biased. “The new hawker policy should be reviewed, else it could be detrimental for the hawkers,” said Mayor Sovan Chatterjee.