Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has announced its plans to recommence the issuance of hawkers’ licenses in the upcoming two weeks. This decision follows the first meeting of the Town Vending Committee (TVC) during which Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari outlined the strategy for the phased rollout of licenses.
During the initial phase, a total of 3,149 registered vendors, who actively participated in the election of eight hawker members to the 20-member Town Vending Committee, will be granted licenses. These vendors, having exercised their voting rights, will be given preference to engage in hawking activities.
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In parallel, efforts are being made to ensure equitable opportunities for all other vendors. The Municipal Commissioner has directed the civic administration to identify and allocate dedicated hawker zones throughout the municipal limits. This proactive measure will facilitate streamlined vendor registration processes within the span of three months.
Around 20 TVC members, including eight hawkers, representatives of NGOs and government officials DCP (Traffic) Chetna Tidke, Senior PI (Sitabuldi Traffic Zone) Vinod Chaudhari, attended the meeting.
Tidke urged the NMC to keep in mind vehicular traffic movement while earmarking hawker zones. During the meeting, TVC member Kaustav Chatterjee said the number of hawkers in the city is increasing at a significant rate and it needs to be controlled. Some basic criteria needs to be formulated for qualifying as a hawker and only those should be allowed, he said. Chatterjee also said preference should be given to those hawkers who are doing business at a particular place for years over those who have started vending recently.
In 2016, the NMC had allowed hawking on select roads and by the roadsides. The Market Department had divided hawking into three categories — hawking no more on 50% of road, followed by 75% and 100% in the second and third categories.
As many 115 hawking zones were planned by the NMC. However, the number was brought down to 53 after objections. The Traffic Police Department too had objected to over 42 places proposed as hawking zones.
Earlier, former MLC Prakash Gajbhiye met the Municipal Commissioner and lodged a protest over ongoing anti-encroachment drive against hawkers.
