Street hawkers face unlawful harassment by officials, cops

Karimnagar: Many years ago the civic authorities had announced establishing vending zones to clear the streets from hawkers and also removing encroachment on footpaths in the city. However, even after five years officials are unable to execute the plan. On the other hand, the helpless hawkers and petty traders are paying the price for the incompetency of civic authorities.

It might be noted that the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation passed a resolution in 2017 to demolish the water tank wall of Karimnagar Market and construct a street vending zone for the convenience of street vendors at a cost of 22 lakh and take the set back. In this regard administrative sanction and technical sanction were also given by the authorities.

The officials of Karimnagar Municipal Corporation invited online tenders in November, 2017 and the tender was awarded to the successful bidder Penugonda Gattaiah.

The authorities also issued a work order to the contractor to the work award agency in February 2018.

Even after 50 months passed the authorities have not shown any interest in the construction of street vendor zone for the convenience of street vendors as per the prevailing norms, due to which genuine street vendors are sitting on the footpath to do trade. .

It is in complete violation of the sections laid down in the Street Vendors Act, 2014 and nothing but sheer negligence on the part of the corporation officials and delay in implementation of the decision.

Meanwhile, Karimnagar Town Vending Committee had earlier issued certificates of vending/identity cards to genuine street vendors in a particular area.

However, even though some hawkers got license and identity cards from the authorities to carry out their trade, continued to face the harassment from the civic officials and, of course, from the cops. The Town Planning Department officials are harassing the poor street vendors in the name of removal of footpath encroachments and to earn extra bucks the police personnel fleece the hawkers as they are plying their trade illegally.

Recently, National Urban Livelihood Mission ordered the Telangana government to take up the construction of street vending zone in Karimnagar as soon as possible.

The commission issued the memo to the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation directing them to take appropriate action following a complaint by a Karimnagar based social activist who reported trouble faced by the street vendors in the city. Only time will tell how seriously the authorities take action on solving the vendors' problem.