Published On : Wed, Jan 11th, 2017

NMC tweaks rules, allots footpaths to hawkers at busy areas

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Burdi Hawkers (6)
Nagpur:
“Dream” of setting up of hawker zone on footpaths in various areas is likely come true if NMC again indulges in its messy affairs. On one hand, the NMC Administration is cracking down on encroachments on footpaths in busy areas and on the other hand, the civic body has announced creating hawker zones at locations where hawkers will be accommodated including North Ambazari road (in front of Matru Seva Sangh Hospital), right side patch between Model Mill Chowk and Jadhav Chowk, Ganeshpeth ST Bus Stand Square corner, along the compound wall of Mayo Hospital (in front of Chandralok Building) and Kalpana Talkies (near MSEB Office, Mankapur).

Subsequently, on Tuesday, the NMC Administration allotted space to 60 hawkers at footpath in front of Matru Seva Sangh, 15 hawkers at footpath in front of Mayo Hospital and space to 20 hawkers at footpath near Ganeshpeth Bus Stand.

At a time when Nagpur City is marching towards becoming a Smart City and road traffic is being streamlined, the NMC’s Hawkers Town Vending Committee is allotting space to hawkers on footpaths and thus blocking the way of a “Smart City.”

The hawker issue has become a headache for NMC since the past few months. The situation is out of control at Rani Jhansi square where the vendors have encroached on footpaths hardly leaving any space for pedestrians. The compound wall of Matru Seva Sangh too is being used by these hawkers to display products. The fact that the vendors return to business immediately after the anti-encroachment drive proves that they escape action by bribing the officials. Similar is the situation in other areas. To regularize them, the NMC had a launched registration drive for hawkers to accommodate them in hawking zones. It had also carried out surveys of all areas, including above five zones.

The nagging problem of encroachments on footpaths is pending in Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court. The NMC Administration has clear its stand in the High Court on Thursday (January 12). But before that, the NMC went on allotting allotted space on footpaths in front of Matru Seva Sangh, Mayo Hospital and Ganeshpeth Bus Stand. Now, the focus will be on the direction and stand of the High Court in this situation.