Alipurduar: Rehabilitation of 212 evicted hawkers begins

Alipurduar: After the Alipurduar Municipality announced the rehabilitation of hawkers, 212 hawkers from Alipurduar applied to the municipality for relocation. The municipality had earlier announced that hawkers would be rehabilitated in a designated place and began accepting applications on Tuesday.

According to the municipality, 212 hawkers have applied, all residents of the 20 wards of Alipurduar Municipality. Scrutiny of each application began on Saturday. Most applicants work with food stalls, but some sell shoes, clothes and other items.

Prasenjit Kar, Chairman of Alipurduar Municipality, said: “We will verify the applications of the 212 people. We know who has been removed from where and what kind of goods they traded. Naturally, no real hawker will be left out. We will accommodate everyone. However, no permanent construction will be allowed anywhere. We have identified two lands and there is another. Everyone can sit in these three areas and conduct their business. Lighting will be provided by the municipality and there will be signage. After Puja, we plan to make concrete floors. If everything goes well, the hawkers will be able to start their businesses again at two points in Alipurduar town by next Monday: one at Thana More in the town and the other near Maya Talkies.”

Since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s stern message, the administration and the municipality have been jointly working to demolish illegal constructions and clear sidewalks in the Alipurduar Municipality area.

Hawkers have already been evicted from the footpaths of various important roads in Alipurduar town and its surroundings.