HC extends time for KMC to file report on College Street hawker case
The petitioner had complained of the footpath in front of premises number 111 at College Street being blocked by hawkers and that they were finding it difficult to construct the two garages
Each and every main road is filled with hawkers and pedestrians cannot walk, this needs to be changed, Calcutta High Court observed while hearing a case on removal of unauthorised hawkers from a particular premises in College Street. The Court gave Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) more time to file a report in the matter. The petitioner had complained of the footpath in front of premises number 111 at College Street being blocked by hawkers and that they were finding it difficult to construct the two garages. In the matter, the KMC had sought for one more week to file the report. Justice Amrita Sinha extended the time till April 24.
Replying to an advocate, Justice Sinha said: “This court will not clarify. The Corporation will take steps on the basis of the
Act. The Commissioner should take a call to find out areas which will be hawking zones and non-hawking zones. Thereafter, they will take a decision because the entire Kolkata, each and every main road is filled with hawkers and pedestrians cannot walk. This needs to be changed.” The advocate representing KMC stated that the vending committee had notified the vending and non-vending zones. In the earlier hearings of the case, the advocate representing KMC had submitted that the hawkers were 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 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 judge had 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.