MARGAO: Determined to keep the city clean, the Curchorem-Cacora Municipal Council (CCMC) has embarked upon a drive against plastic carry-bags, illegal encroachments and the sale of gutkha within the city. The drive began with a two-day intensive awareness campaign led by chief officer Agnelo Fernandes and chairperson Jasmine Braganza last weekend.

"During the drive, we educated the traders against stocking plastic bags below 40 microns and offering them to their customers. Most of the traders voluntarily handed over their stocks of plastic carry bags below the specified thickness, and gutkha packets as well," Fernandes told TOI.

Once the required level of awareness is created, the CCMC will crack down against the violators with an iron hand, it was said.

In an indication that no illegalities in the allotment of stalls at the SUDA market complex would be tolerated, Fernandes ordered sealing of 51 stalls. "The 51 shops that were yet to be allotted to vendors were being used by unscrupulous traders. When this was brought to my notice, we sealed the shops and they are now in our possession. We will allot the shops through an open auction shortly," Fernandes said.

Similar anti-encroachment drives carried out by the CCMC in the past had met with little success, as the vendors would return to their road side places once the drive lost steam. This time, the CCMC is planning to accommodate the road side vendors in the proposed hawkers' zone near the SUDA market complex.

Confirming this, Fernandes told TOI that the area has been identified and the work of earmarking the spaces for the hawkers will be done on Wednesday. "We will allow hawkers to sell their wares only within the spaces allotted to them. They will also be permitted to erect umbrellas," Fernandes said.

The setting up of the hawkers' zone in the town is primarily aimed at clearing all illegal encroachments and to ease traffic congestion to a considerable extent, besides protecting the vendors from being at the mercy of the authorities.