More than 300 members of the Aastha Hawkers’ Welfare Association have refused to remove their stalls along HD Lama, NB Singh and JP Sharma Roads in the heart of town in defiance to an order issued by the Darjeeling municipality.
The municipality had asked the hawkers on the three roads to remove their stalls as they were blocking the thoroughfare. But the order was ignored and the hawkers continued to put up their temporary shops. But the civic body today used police assistance and forced the traders to vacate the areas. Despite this, the AHWA said it would not adhere to the municipality’s order and its members would continue to set up shop as in the past several years. "We have been putting up stalls over the last 25 years and they are our only source of income. How can the municipality ask us to vacate the areas now?" questioned AHWA president Bharat Subba.
Last year, the municipality forced more than 82 hawkers into removing their stalls from Nehru Road in the Chowrastha area. Those shopkeepers have been rehabilitated to another part of Chowrastha. The AHWA today clarified it is not averse to shifting places provided an alternative is provided by the municipality. Subba said: "Our stand is clear. We will not budge until we are rehabilitated to someplace else." But when reminded that the municipality had permitted the hawkers to put up their stalls on three alternate days, he said: "We will remain closed only on Thursdays in accordance to the custom followed by most commercial establishments in town.”
The Darjeeling municipality has allowed the hawkers to set up shop along the three roads on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There are nearly 327 temporary shops affiliated to the AHWA conducting business on HD Lama, NB Singh and JP Sharma (or Orient) roads. Tthe municipality had been collecting a daily fee of Rs5 from the hawkers, but the practice has stopped since last year when the civic body decided to revamp many areas in town.
In October last year when chief minister Mamata Banerjee was in Darjeeling, the AHWA met her and submitted a memorandum urging her to intervene. Banerjee reciprocated by launching the Aastha Hawkers’ Market Complex on CR Das Road on January 23, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary. "Yes, the chief minister has assured us a complex to house our stalls, but that will take time. The district magistrate has also said a three-storey building will come up on CR Das Road and about 80-90 shops will be accommodated on one of the floors," said Subba. Meanwhile, Darjeeling Municipality chairman Amar Singh Rai remained firm about his decision to allow the hawkers to trade only on the three days stipulated.
"We have allowed the hawkers three days to run their trade as that is their livelihood. We are also identifying another place to house those hawkers with legal documents. The GTA has allotted us Rs1 crore for this purpose, but the project might take some time to take off," Rai said.
Source:EOI
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| NB Singh Road in Darjeeling. |
Last year, the municipality forced more than 82 hawkers into removing their stalls from Nehru Road in the Chowrastha area. Those shopkeepers have been rehabilitated to another part of Chowrastha. The AHWA today clarified it is not averse to shifting places provided an alternative is provided by the municipality. Subba said: "Our stand is clear. We will not budge until we are rehabilitated to someplace else." But when reminded that the municipality had permitted the hawkers to put up their stalls on three alternate days, he said: "We will remain closed only on Thursdays in accordance to the custom followed by most commercial establishments in town.”
The Darjeeling municipality has allowed the hawkers to set up shop along the three roads on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. There are nearly 327 temporary shops affiliated to the AHWA conducting business on HD Lama, NB Singh and JP Sharma (or Orient) roads. Tthe municipality had been collecting a daily fee of Rs5 from the hawkers, but the practice has stopped since last year when the civic body decided to revamp many areas in town.
In October last year when chief minister Mamata Banerjee was in Darjeeling, the AHWA met her and submitted a memorandum urging her to intervene. Banerjee reciprocated by launching the Aastha Hawkers’ Market Complex on CR Das Road on January 23, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary. "Yes, the chief minister has assured us a complex to house our stalls, but that will take time. The district magistrate has also said a three-storey building will come up on CR Das Road and about 80-90 shops will be accommodated on one of the floors," said Subba. Meanwhile, Darjeeling Municipality chairman Amar Singh Rai remained firm about his decision to allow the hawkers to trade only on the three days stipulated.
"We have allowed the hawkers three days to run their trade as that is their livelihood. We are also identifying another place to house those hawkers with legal documents. The GTA has allotted us Rs1 crore for this purpose, but the project might take some time to take off," Rai said.
Source:EOI
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