Suman Salt Lake hawker returns

Kolkata: A day after the book fair ended at Salt Lake’s Central Park on Monday, the hawkers who had vacated from the road sides in Karunamoyee and adjacent places returned at the same place.
The group of hawkers inside the Karunamoyee bus terminus premoises who had vacated the place just a few days before the book fair returned back to do business from Tuesday morning itself, putting up and arranging their vending carts and kiosks.
Infact the hawkers started bringing back their vending carts and other tools within a few hours after the book fair ended from Monday night.“We were asked to vacate the place for the book fair as a temporary arrangement. The fair has ended,” said one of the hawkers who was arranging to re-set up his stall.
The Hawker Sangram Committee said that hawkers at other places surrounding Karunamoyee who were evicted before the book fair will be returning to their own places. “We have discussed with the hawkers on Tuesday on the issue of their returning back to their own places where they were before the book fair. We will protest if the civic authorities again evict them,” said a hawker sangram committee representative.
The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation is firm on its earlier stance that no encroachments would be allowed on the footpaths and pavements in the township and that drives will continue to see that the footpaths remain clean and free from unauthorised encroachments. “It was not only for the book fair. It has been our stand from the very beginning to keep the footpaths free from hawkers as residents of Salt Lake want it,” a civic official said.
It was about two weeks before the book fair commenced that the civic authorities conducted a campaign, asking all hawkers occupying the footpaths to vacate the space. This was followed by an eviction drive as many of the hawkers vacated by themselves.
“The footpaths and pavement in Salt Lake should be free from hawkers and encroachments. There can be seperate zones for the hawkers to relocate, but it would not be good if the hawkers again return to occupy the footpaths in Karunamoyee,” said Bidhannagar Welfare Association secretary Sarat Mullick.
Members of the Bidhannagar hawkers union held a rally and staged a demonstration infront of Poura Bhavan, protesting the civic authorities move. The hawkers representatives also met state urban development minister Firhad Hakim on the issue and the hawkers were temporarily relocated nearby.
“The minister has told us that a survey would be done along with hawkers representatives to see where are the alternative places in Salt Lake where hawkers could be relocated. Till then the hawkers will continue to do business as usual,” said a hawker sangram committee member.
Box
What – Hawkers who earlier vacated or was evicted by the civic authorities before the book fair have returned or returning on the footpaths in Salt Lake
Where – The hawkers have returned on the sides inside Karunamoyee bus terminus and are returning to do business on the pavements infront of Karubnamoyee housing and adjacent places
Civic stance – No new hawkers would be allowed to occupy pavement space and drive will continue to see that the footpaths remain clean and free from any encroachments
Hawker union stance - It was a temporary arrangement for the book fair for the hawkers to vacate their spaces. There will be protest demonstration and agitations if the civic authorities evict the hawkers
* Number of hawkers in Salt Lake registered under Bidhannagat Hawkers Union – about 750