‘Take steps to remove hawkers from College Street footpath’

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to take steps to remove hawkers from College Street footpath. While reprimanding the Corporation, Justice Amrita Sinha observed that the footpath should be kept absolutely free for pedestrians to walk.

The petitioner complained that since the footpath in front of premises number 111 at College Street was being blocked by the hawkers, they are finding it difficult to construct two garages in the mentioned premises despite the same being sanctioned by the Corporation. It was earlier submitted by KMC that out of the three metre footpath, hawkers had occupied almost two metre.

Following the earlier directions of the Court, the advocate representing KMC on Tuesday submitted that the hawkers have been removed from premises number 111 to premises number 112. Justice Sinha called the action unacceptable and stated that the hawkers were supposed to be relocated elsewhere and not in front of the adjacent premises.

“The Corporation in a short cut method has simply tried to shift the hawkers from the front of 111 and help them land up in front of 112. Corporation should keep in mind that the footpaths should be kept absolutely free for the pedestrians to walk and not for the hawkers to restrict the movement of the pedestrians,” Justice Sinha observed. The Town Vending Committee were also asked to act “judiciously and wisely,” and not give the wrong impression to the hawkers that they would be free to set up stalls in any place in the city. The Court further directed KMC to submit a further report and the matter was listed on April 12.

The judge observed: “Enough kindness has been shown and that’s the reason valuable lives are lost.” Justice Sinha further stressed that the hawkers cook with “live-fire” on footpaths where people walk, in case of any accident, who will take responsibility.