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MCD launches drive to remove hawkers

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JUNE 22. In yet another attempt to clear major roads and market places of unauthorised squatters, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has launched a campaign to remove those vendors who are not entitled to any alternative plot under the present policy.

As many as 7,000 such squatters in various parts of the city are being removed by the civic body in this phase. The Municipal Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta, recently held a meeting with all the Deputy Commissioners of 12 zones. Strict instructions were passed for completing the exercise in a time bound manner.

Insiders in the civic body said the exercise was part of the drive to give a better look to public places like roads, markets, bus stands, railway stations and office complexes in the Capital. Simultaneously, the MCD was also starting to give alternative space to those vendors who are entitled under the present policy which is based on a court order. The MCD has already informed the court about its latest drive.

Earlier, a survey was carried out in all the 12 zones of the MCD to identify the vendors who were to be removed in this phase. The list of such squatters have been submitted to Mr. Mehta, who is himself monitoring the progress. "We cannot make our roads and other public places available to any one for times to come. There has to be a limit to it,'' said a senior MCD official.

After the removal of these roadside vendors, steps would be taken to ensure that no fresh encroachments took place at these places. The Deputy Commissioners have been passed specific orders in this regard and have been asked to fix responsibilities to other junior officials in every zone. As the drive is monitored at the highest level, Mr. Mehta has warned of taking disciplinary action against those officials in whose areas squatters reappear after they are removed.

Mr. Mehta has also instructed the Engineering Department for immediate repair of the pavement and the roadside from where the squatters are being removed. "At many of the places, the vendors have badly damaged the pavements,'' said a senior official after an inspection of some of these areas.

Officials said that a number of public places and roads were identified -- as a pilot project -- to fix the number of vendors at those places. "No doubt we have to provide space to vendors at these places, but there has to be a limit to it. Too many vendors give an ugly look to these important public places like bus stands and railway stations. We are fixing the optimum number of squatters at one place. We would not permit more vendors to sit there,'' he said.

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