Delhi police to crack whip on illegal hawkers

The Delhi Police will finally attempt to enforce a direction, issued by the Supreme Court more than two years ago, over the coming two days.

The Delhi Police will finally attempt to enforce a direction, issued by the Supreme Court more than two years ago, over the coming two days.

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Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta, on Tuesday, directed his men to remove illegal hawkers from the heart of Old Delhi till as early as Thursday and, according to sources, gave the assistant commissioner of police (ACP) and the station house officer (SHO) of the Kotwali area an earful in the process.

“Our business suffers and most of our time is consumed in settling petty parking issues as local police officers look the other way. We’re glad that someone is finally looking into this,” said Sanjay Bhargava, general secretary, Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal.

According to Bhargava, the 2.5 km that lies between popular dry fruit markets such as Khari Baoli and the famous Chandni Chowk market is home to ‘thousands of illegal hawkers who mar its appeal’.

Estimates by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), however, put the total number of licenced vendors in the Capital at 80,000: a majority of whom operate in the Chandni Chowk area.

A bench of judges BP Singh and Arun Kumar, in September 2010, had directed the Delhi Police and the MCD to remove hawkers operating between Jain Mandir, opposite the Red Fort, and Fatehpuri mosque.