Salt Lake Sector V: Team of hawkers visits rehabilitation plots, returns disappointed
Kolkata: Hawkers in Salt Lake Sector V were taken to visit the two plots of land, where the Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority (NDITA) plans to relocate them.
Police officials from Electronic Complex Police station took a team of hawkers in those two areas — one adjacent to a housing plot of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and another at AQ Block, where rehabilitation can be arranged for them.
A multi-storey car parking area, along with a food plaza has been planned at AQ 11 near Technopolis.
Hawkers in Sector V had started a protest movement by keeping their shops shut on Friday to protest against the order asking them to clear three main thoroughfares or face eviction.
They also allegedly prevented several persons associated with the online food ordering services from going to their offices in Sector V.
Three of such hawkers were also arrested by the police. Bidhanngar MLA Sujit Bose said the government is deadly against the eviction of hawkers but maintained that the place they are occupying is posing serious hurdles in the traffic flow of the area as claimed by the police.
"We will arrange for rehabilitation of the hawkers, who have been doing business in Sector V. However, we will be unable to do the same for the new ones as we have witnessed that some new hawkers are occupying the place as well," Bose said.
He added that the hawkers will be given seven days time within which they have to move to the places earmarked for them and do their business.
It may be mentioned that police want the hawkers on Ring Road, the stretch from the SDF intersection in GN block to Technopolis building, to be vacated. They also have an order from the High Court.
Bhabotosh Sarkar, a leader of the Salt Lake Sector V Hawkers' Welfare Association, said the hawkers have moved the High Court for a stay order on the eviction. Sarkar on Saturday said, "Our business will suffer as the plots that have been earmarked are located far away from the main office area and the customers will not travel so far to have food."
