KMC hands over 29 stalls to Gariahat hawkers

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Tuesday handed over 29 stalls to the hawkers in Gariahat, whose stalls were damaged after a massive fire on January 20.

"It will take some more time for us to start business as we have to make adjustments for arrangement of these stalls. CESC will be providing the electricity connection, the work for which will start from Wednesday. Mayor Firhad Hakim has also assured us that hawkers will be provided with licence and will be entitled to benefits under Swastha Sathi scheme," said Abhijit Saha, vice-president of Hawker Sangram Committee.

A KMC official said that the design of the stalls has been made in such a way so that a customer will not get drenched in rain while buying stuff from them.

The Central Store of KMC has made the stalls with wheels underneath and fitted them with LED boards at the back for advertisements. The stalls will be placed at a distance of 50 feet from the main road to allow smooth traffic movement.

Hakim has instructed the Central Store to make one lakh stalls, which will be given to hawkers in other parts of the city. However, the work will take time as the design of the stalls may not be similar to cater to the requirement of the hawkers in other parts of the city.

A group of architects

that the civic body had consulted, had suggested that

the stalls should not block the signboards of the permanent shops.