Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) acting in tandem with Nagpur City Police carried out an anti-encroachment drive on Sitabuldi Main Road to remove unlicensed hawkers. The Traffic Control Branch has initiated two-way movement on the market road from Variety Square to Loha Pul and vice versa on an experimental basis.
To ensure smooth movement of traffic and avoid traffic snarls, removal of unlicensed hawkers from the main road was necessary. Hawkers had mushroomed in large numbers on either side of the main road. As citizens throng the market for their purchases, the hawkers too eke out livelihood by selling clothes and other materials on the road.
Gold Rate
29 April 2025
The NMC’s anti-encroachment squad stopped hawkers from setting up stalls on Sitabuldi main road for the second day on Friday, though 84 licenced hawkers will be allowed from Saturday. The otherwise busy road wore a deserted look without the hawkers, who were removed by NMC after traffic police declared Sitabuldi main road open for two-way traffic.
In support of the hawkers, ex-MLC Prakash Gajbhiye met Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, terming the NMC drive as injustice. In a memorandum on behalf of Sitabuldi Hawkers Welfare Association, Gajbhiye said some 344 hawkers on Sitabuldi main road were registered with NMC. They had even voted in NMC’s town vending committee elections, he said.
Chaudhari then allowed licensed hawkers – around 84 as per NMC records – to operate from the road. “Licensed hawkers will be allowed hawking on Sitabuldi main road from Saturday. Unlicensed hawkers will be strictly disallowed,” said Dharampeth Zone Assistant Municipal Commissioner Prakash Warade.
For remaining hawkers, the civic chief has directed the administration to convene a Town Vending Committee meeting within a week. As per rules, hawkers have to keep moving on the road between Variety Square and Loha Pul. They cannot stand at one place to sell goods, the rules state.
DCP Traffic Chetna Tidke said that two-way traffic will continue till August 15, as announced earlier.
Chaudhari was appraised about the members of the association or their predecessors carrying on their business of hawking for last 30 to 35 years, much before the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, came into force from May 1, 2014, said Gajbhiye. The members of the association are either license holders or have duly applied for licenses and been issued temporary licenses.
Despite a stay order by the high court preventing NMC from taking action, on August 10 a team led by Warade had come along with police to Sitabuldi main road. Warade asked hawkers without license and those with temporary license to vacate the road. Some hawkers who had identity cards, which clearly show the place of business as Sitabuldi main road, were also made to vacate their place of business, alleged hawkers Mohammad Haroon, Sambhar Ali, Anil Ambhore and Janardhan Mohoto.
A strong police bandobast was maintained by PI Narendra Hiwre that enabled the anti-encroachment squad of NMC to act swiftly and clear the road of hawkers. PI Vinod Choudhari of Traffic Control Branch was also present with his men. From NMC, the action was taken under supervision of Assistant Commissioner, Enforcement, Harish Raut and Assistant Commissioner, Dharampeth Zone, Prakash Varade and Superintendent, Enforcement Department, Sanjay Kamble, by Vinod Kokarde, Narendra Totewar, Manohar Rathod and team.
