Regulation of hawkers: KMC to survey to decide on vending zones

kolkata: The new civic board of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is seriously working on regulating the hawkers in the city by involving the opinions of the common people.

The civic body will soon make a survey on hawkers done by Kolkata Police available in public domain eliciting opinion from representative of hawkers, traders, NGOs and common citizens regarding vending zone, non vending zone which will be of no inconvenience both on the part of pedestrians and hawkers.

"We have formed the new town vending committee after a meeting today (Friday) with the previous committee' s term expiring on September last year," Debasish Kumar, Member Mayor-in- Council, KMC said.

"We will upload the survey regarding hawkers done by representatives from

Kolkata Police and hawkers in 2018 on our website and will seek objections, suggestions from people of all walks of life. There will be a hearing after receipt of such objections and accordingly our committee

will dispose of the matter so that the policy regarding regulating the hawkers can be made," Kumar, who supervises the hawkers vending committee, said.

The civic body has decided to allow a time period of 15 days for such suggestions.

The law upholds that two third space on a footpath are allocated for the pedestrians and one third for the hawkers.

However, in many footpaths the hawkers have allegedly occupied more than 50 per cent of footpath space making it difficult for the common people to travel smoothly.

Saktiman Ghosh, general secretary of Hawker Sangram Committee said the Covid per iod had compelled 20 per cent of the hawkers to wrap up their business as many people have shifted to online purchase.