The town vending committee was formed with representatives from KMC, hawker unions and police to solve disputes related to vendors.
The CMO, on receiving complaints about hawkers taking over pavements and parts of roads, forwarded them to the committee, discussed the matter at its last meeting at the civic headquarters on Wednesday. Encroachments around the KMC headquarters also figured among the complaints.
Officers from police stations concerned were present at the meeting. They have been told to cooperate with the town vending committee during inspections and thereafter undertake a push-back to free up pavements and roads. Police have also been told to maintain a vigil to prevent fresh encroachment.
Bowbazar councillor Biswarup De has raised the issue at civic body’s House meetings. “It is becoming difficult for pedestrians to walk on footpath in Bowbazar area. New hawkers are taking over pavement space fast, forcing people to walk on roads. As a result, accidents in Sealdah-Bowbazar are going up,” said De.
According to a KMC solid waste management department official, as directed by the town vending committee, the department, with cops, is keeping a vigil on new encroachment of pavements in Bowbazar. Similarly, KMC representatives from the Burrabazar-BBD Bag area have been vocal about encroachment of pavements in the central business district. According to Santosh Pathak, Congress councillor from Burrabazar, a section of hawker union leaders, hand in glove with some cops, was instrumental to letting vendors take over whatever little space left. “I have drawn the attention of the KMC brass to curb pavement encroachment. But hawkers are paying handsome amounts to take over pavement space,” Pathak claimed.
Ashok Chakraborty, a town vending committee member and a hawker union leader, felt they would need to act fast to prevent grabbing of pavement space by hawkers in Bowbazar, Chandni Chowk and Burrabazar. “No action has yet been taken in Burrabazar, Bowbazar and Chandni areas,” said Chakraborty.
A KMC official said efforts were on to identify hawkers encroaching on pavements in central Kolkata. “We will start with New Market, move towards Bowbazar-Sealdah and then, to Burrabazar,” he said.