Kolkata Mayor implements strict regulations for hawkers; digitizes employee tracking system

Kolkata Mayor Firad Hakim has announced a slew of hi-tech initiatives for the Municipal Corporation, including the launch of a WhatsApp Chat Boat that will allow citizens to access tax information, certificates of enlistment, birth and death certificates, online mutation applications, and appointments to meet with officials.

 Mayor Hakim said that all four gates of the Municipal Corporation will be equipped with biometric technology, which will photograph both staff and visitors. He added that the corporation will be completely digitized under Mission 2024. To ensure greater transparency, all employees will be given a digital diary to record their location.

In addition, Mayor Hakim vowed to end the broker rule in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, and said that new hawkers will not be allowed to sit without first obtaining instructions from the Town Vending Committee. Mayor Hakim also addressed the issue of Nikaya Durniti, directing departmental officials to investigate the matter thoroughly.

Perhaps most notably, Mayor Hakim declared that he will not allow buildings to be constructed by encroaching on footpaths, stating that he has received reports of such encroachments and will personally break them down.

"I have been entrusted with the responsibility of serving the people, and if I fail to deliver, the people will remove me from my post," said Mayor Hakim, emphasizing his commitment to improving the city's infrastructure and ensuring greater accountability in the Municipal Corporation.