KMC likely to introduce its hawker policy by Nov end

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is likely to introduce its hawker policy by the end of November with a meeting of the Town Vending Committee preceding it.

Ahead of the Puja, the civic body had already completed its survey of the hawkers within the KMC jurisdiction. Apart from a physical survey, a digital survey was also conducted to create a database.

Sources said that names of more than 50,000 hawkers were registered. The survey entails details as to which hawker sits where and is occupying how much space. Their locations were geo-tagged accordingly. The Aadhaar and PAN details were collected from them.

It was learnt that a Town Vending Committee meeting will be held at the end of the month where decisions are expected to be finalised after approval following a discussion. The new hawker policy is likely to be revealed at this meeting.

Sources said that about 40,000 hawkers are said to be conducting their business according to the existing rules which includes operating within the space designated for them. However, the problem is arising concerning some 14,000-odd hawkers who have no particular spots for hawking and are even moving into the space that is to be left for pedestrians. Such hawkers may not get hawking certificates for now. Such hawkers will also feature in the Town Vending Commitee’s meeting at the end of the month.

Before Puja, a report was submitted with Mayor Firhad Hakim which, among other things, had stated the number of hawkers carrying out trade in non-hawking zones.

It was following the instructions of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that the civic body took up the initiative to frame a hawker policy to regulate them and thus prevent accidents taking place due to dearth of space on footpaths for pedestrians.