Stalls ready to be handed over to Gariahat hawkers

Kolkata: Mayor Firhad Hakim said on Monday that the thirty new stalls to be handed over to the hawkers in Gariahat are ready.

"There were some objections regarding the size of the stalls, following which we have made some alterations. Now the stalls are uniform and the hawkers can come and take their stalls whenever they wish," Hakim told reporters after holding a meeting with the hawkers whose stalls were damaged in a massive fire at Gariahat on January 20.

The Mayor added that the design of the stalls have been made in such a way that a customer will not get drenched

in rain while buying things from the stalls.

Some of the hawkers selling garments claimed that the size of the stalls will not enable them to properly display the garments. "All the stalls will not fit into the place that has been earmarked," said Abhijit Saha, vice-president of Hawker Sangram Committee.

The hawkers will hold a meeting on Wednesday and decide their next course of action.

The Central Store of Kolkata Municipal Corporation has made the stalls with wheels underneath, fitted with LED boards at the back having space for advertisements. The stalls will be placed at a distance of 50 feet away 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 doing their business 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 has consulted had suggested that the stalls should not block the signboards of the permanent shops. After every 10 stalls there will be a small exit. The exits will facilitate air circulation and enable hawkers and others to flee if there is an emergency.