E-Paper
Make way! hawkers reclaim footpaths in Camp
Illegal hawkers were removed from the streets of Camp just a month ago.
Illegal hawkers have returned to the streets of Camp-- from where they were removed just a month ago.
In a crackdown in the first week of January, the Pune Cantonment Board’s (PCB) anti-encroachment squad removed 120 hawkers and 100 illegal establishments from the streets of the Cantonment area.
The return of unauthorised vendors has irked residents as they find it difficult to live and walk around.
Residents and civic activists feel that these illegal hawkers have no fear of law and order; and return within days of an anti-encroachment drive.
Currently the roads near Azam Campus main gate, Anglo Urdu School gate and Dental College are occupied by illegal hawkers selling fruit juices and snacks. At the end of MG road, the turn off onto Taboot Street and Dastur Meher road is swamped by hawkers eating into road space, with traffic always at a jam in the evenings.
Sajjaad Shaikh, social activist from Bhimpura said that “ The college and school girls going to Azam Campus are facing tough time as the footpaths are occupied by hawkers. We want the area to be cleared off the hawkers.
“These hawkers need to be permanently removed from the spots as they are creating traffic problems and causing public nuisance. Action needs to be taken and the residents must not shop from them. It has become difficult to live in the area or even walk around. The hawker economy of the cantonment board is contributing to corruption and crime and needs to be ended at the earliest ,” said Amarendra Jadhav, a civil rights activist from Castelino road.
Amit Kumar, chief executive officer, PCB said “ We are taking regular action against the hawkers and strict action will be carried out to control encroachments on cantonment streets.”
