Dombivli station turns hawker-free after MNS ultimatum

Dombivli A day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Raju Patil warned of MNS style eviction of hawkers at Dombivli through banners, the Dombivli East station was free of hawkers on Wednesday morning

Dombivli

Dombivli station turns hawker-free after MNS ultimatum

A day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Raju Patil warned of MNS style eviction of hawkers at Dombivli through banners, the Dombivli East station was free of hawkers on Wednesday morning.

Hawkers outside Dombivli railway station vanished in seconds on Wednesday morning ahead of Raju Patil’s inspection. The usually busy station premises looked deserted with no hawkers occupying the station road.

Raju Patil, the lone MNS MLA from Kalyan Rural constituency, along with KDMC officials, autorickshaw union members, regional transport officials, traffic police visited the station and inspected the road.

“Hawkers, rickshaw drivers and shopkeepers encroaching on the footpath are our target. Citizens should not be worried now. We are now on the road. Now the administration has no choice but to let the station premises breathe freely,” said Patil.

The MNS had given a 15-day ultimatum to the municipal administration to make the station area hawker-free. After the end of the ultimatum on Tuesday, MLA Raju Patil inspected the railway station area along with office bearers on Wednesday. Even before MNS MLA Raju Patil’s visit, there was chaos in the area of Dombivli railway station as hawkers picked up their carts, baskets and other items and vanished.

Patil also assured that he will not only come once for the inspection, but will regularly visit the station premises and ensure there is no congestion.

Speaking about why no action is taken against the hawkers by KDMC, Patil alleged that the officials received hafta (protection money) from the hawkers on a regular basis.

“Here there are local goons who collect ₹500 at least from a hawker on a daily basis and this money is distrubuted among all the officers which leads to a collection of at least ₹2-3 lakhs per day. This will stop in the coming days,” added Patil.

Patil was seen confronting the KDMC officials on why no regular action was taken against the hawker menace despite their ultimatum. A meeting will be held with the KDMC Commisioner and concerned officials next week, he said while assuring a transformation of the station premises.

Hawkers defended their actions. “We have no option other than hawking on the streets and earning our livelihood as we are not given a proper space to operate. We don’t have a choice when it comes to the hafta. The hawkers’ policy is a joke as nothing is being done,” said Vikas Tiwari, 28, one of the hawker who sells clothes outside Dombivli station.