March 13, 2011 12:23:36 am
City of thelawalas?
This is with reference to your front page news article (Pune Newsline,Friday,March 10),on PMCs failed hawker policy to be studied by the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation.
Look at any footpath on any major thoroughfare of Aundh and you will them riddled with unauthorised hawkers,vendors,foodcarts and squatters selling all kinds of stuff. We have been fighting this menace for several years now.
Over the past two years,we,as a citizens body,have taken up this issue with the Pune Municipal Corporation.
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A letter sent to the top civic brass from AVM over a year ago included suggestions such as steep increase in fines for illegal hawkers,permanent confiscation of goods and demarcation of a specified hawkers zone. However,till date the civic authorities have taken little or no action. Clearly,there is no political will to tackle this social problem. From the brazenness of replies active citizens receive when they question unauthorised vendors,it seems they enjoy political or goonda patronage.
Hawkers occupy the footpaths meant for pedestrians,who in turn walk on the road meant for vehicles and finally cars swerve and weave around human beings completing the bizarre picture of this wannabe metro! And nobody is in a hurry to reverse this unhealthy trend. Not even the ignorant citizens who patronise the thelas (hawkers). They seem to know and fight for their civic rights but are unaware of their civic responsibilities.
It is fair to say that rampant encroachment across Pune reflects failure at all levels of governance
Girish Deshpande
Aundh Vikas Mandal
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