Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) along with Kolkata Police and members of Town Vending Committee (TVC) took a significant stride in streamlining the hawkers on the footpath at the Grand Arcade in Esplanade.
One-third space on one side of the footpath has been clearly demarcated for 93 odd hawkers while 23 hawkers who were sitting on another side have been given 48-hours time to vacate the place.
The TVC has assured proper rehabilitation of these hawkers at the same site soon.
“It was decided much earlier by the TVC to leave 5-feet space on both sides of the gate of the Grand Hotel which is a heritage building. However, after the Mumbai blast in 2008, the hotel authorities with the assistance of the police had pushed them to a distance of 35-feet on either side of the gate. About 23 hawkers bore the brunt of this drive and encroached on the opposite side of the footpath.
While demarcating the space, we have been able to get free space of 7-feet. The 23 hawkers who could not be accommodated in the one-third space earmarked today (Thursday) will be rehabilitated in this 7-feet space soon,” Saktiman Ghosh, general secretary of National Hawker Federation who is a member of the TVC said.
A senior KMC official said that they will try to implement the same model in other places in the city to allow two-third space for the pedestrians as directed by the Calcutta High Court.
“We are hopeful that pedestrians will have adequate walking space in the Grand Arcade,” a senior KMC official said.
A survey by the TVC had found 116 hawkers and vendors have been hawking on both sides of the arcade.
As per the order of the judiciary, hawkers can sit occupying one-third space in the footpath and should not encroach the main carriageway but the rules are being flouted at will at a number of places in Esplanade-New Market and its adjacent areas.