PMC to redesign hawkers’ zones

The civic administration had terminated the licenses of the hawkers and had planned to evict them from 22 road junctions from December. However, following a series of protests and demonstrations, a meeting was held with the officials today to thrash out the issue.

The officials assured to consider their demand of rehabilitating the licensed hawkers at the junctions. The matter was also in the court with one of the hawkers’ unions protesting against the civic administration’s decision of terminating the licenses, Waghchaure informed. To arrest the spillover of hawkers on main road junctions leading to traffic congestion, the civic administration is actively considering the possibility of rehabilitating them at the vegetable markets in various areas which are unoccupied so far, Agarwal had told media persons yesterday.

While the commissioner admitted the need to restructure the existing hawking zones, he said there were several vegetable markets of RCC construction that were unoccupied at Bopodi, near Naidu Hospital and Yerawada. With the vegetable sellers preferring to settle themselves at lanes and on the main roads, these markets remain unoccupied.

Apart from toying with the idea of rehabilitating them at these markets, Agarwal also said that the development plan being prepared for the 38 villages would take due cognisance of the hawkers’ problems by insisting that railway stations should have adjoining markets.

A proposal has been sent to the State Government to dereserve the additional hospital land near Sutar dispensary at Kothrud for setting up vegetable market, Agarwal said.