At very first New Mkt stop, KMC survey team finds irregularities

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) team assigned to conduct a hawker survey was baffled on Monday morning when they found three hawkers claiming a common space on Bertram Street.
Asked to show documents in support of their claim, the three produced the same document issued to them by the civic authorities. The case was referred to the Town-Vending Committee, giving details about the hawkers and their hawking space.In another case, two hawkers were seen grappling for the same space but had strangely come to an agreement by using a thin plywood board that separates the shops. Besides New Market, the KMC officials also started a survey in the Hatibagan area on Monday morning.
According to a KMC official who led the team of surveyors, they had found several anomalies that needed to be addressed and sorted out before the high-powered committee sent a fresh list of hawkers to the chief minister’s office (CMO).
Two groups of civic officials started the survey from two ends — the Lindsay Street-Bertram Street intersection and from near the KMC headquarters. The civic officials accompanied hawker union leaders and surveyed the entire length of Bertram Street, talking to hawkers and asking for valid hawking documents. However, according to a hawker union leader, at the end of the day, less than 300 hawkers were properly surveyed and documents submitted to the civic team.
According to a KMC official who was part of the surveyor’s team, unlike the last survey conducted in 2022, based on documents submitted by the hawkers in 2015, this time the civic officials are registering the names of only those who have a valid Aadhaar card linked to the mobile phone number and a residential proof.
“The aim and objective of the survey is to find genuine hawkers and remove the ghost ones. But under no circumstances will we allow fresh invasion. We are preparing a list of real beneficiaries that will be sent to the high-powered committee for taking necessary action,” said Debasis Kumar, the TVC co-chairman and a member of the committee.
Md Mukhtar, a hawker on Bertram Street who was given an ID card by a hawker union in New Market, said he was ready to cooperate with the committee and shift from his present location.
In Hatibagan too, the KMC surveyors took time in collecting valid documents. The team began their task from Hatibagan market and ended the survey near Shyampukur Street crossing. Shantanu Bose, a hawker, said they were anxious but determined to abide by the rules.