'Don't take money from poor hawkers:' CM on hawkers issue

• CM chairs a high level meeting to address ongoing demolishing of illegal structures on footpaths
• Orders arrests if evicted hawkers return, regardless of their status
• A new portal will detail hawking and non-hawking zones, accommodations will be arranged for displaced poor hawkers: CM

Following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's stern directive from the Nabanna meeting on Monday, a vigorous footpath cleaning drive is underway across the district. Bulldozers are being deployed to demolish illegal constructions along the roads. However, CM Banerjee expressing strong dissatisfaction chaired a high-level meeting on hawker eradication at Nabanna, attended by ministers, secretaries, police commissioners, and police station in-charges.

"The eviction of hawkers is not the goal. We will have to work with a system," Banerjee said. "DM will ensure that no one sits again. If they do, then arrest everyone, whether they are leaders or police. The footpaths are being converted into godowns. Police and hawker leaders will not collect money from poor hawkers."

"A portal will be made which will have details of hawking and non-hawking zones. If those who have been removed are poor, then make arrangements for their accommodation," she added.

Banerjee also addressed the congestion in areas like Gariahat, stating, "There is no place to walk in Gariahat. Outsiders cannot be accommodated. No matter how big the leader is, I will not leave anyone out. Local councils don't even look at it. There are 145 small and big markets in Kolkata. There are old houses in Bara Bazar; the condition of Bagdi market is bad. It should not happen that those who go shopping in Bara Bazar meet with some accident. Better not to use plastic."

She further spoke about illegal parking, "Police and leaders are taking money in illegal parking zones. CP Vineet Goyal will give me a list of how many illegal parking lots are there in Kolkata."