Hawkers back despite drive to evict them

Hawkers back despite drive to evict them
Deccan Herald

Six months ago, the Bangalore Mahanagar Palike conducted a dramatic anti-hawkers raid in Jayanagar Shopping Complex, labelled the drive as ‘Public First’ and promised that this will be the end of the encroachment menace. The BMP warned there will be more to come – the drive will be repeated at K R Market, Gandhinagar and Gandhi Bazaar.

Six months ago, the Bangalore Mahanagar Palike conducted a dramatic anti-hawkers raid in Jayanagar Shopping Complex, labelled the drive as ‘Public First’ and promised that this will be the end of the encroachment menace. The BMP warned there will be more to come — the drive will be repeated at K R Market, Gandhinagar and Gandhi Bazaar.

Fast forward to a December morning: The narrow passages of the complex is bustling with activity, with hawkers lined up with their wares — woollens, undergarments, Christmas paraphernalia, bags, jewellery, vegetables, fruits and a host of other items. A local bookseller says the hawkers returned two-three days after the raid. “These raids are only a gimmick which the BMP stages once in a few months. These hawkers continue to run their business on the space without paying any rent. Shopkeepers like us pay rent, but our own passages are blocked,” he says.

‘No place for us’

Meanwhile, the hawkers say they have no choice but to open shop despite the threat of raids. According to Suresh, a hawker who sells bedsheets at the complex, there are frequent inspections by the BMP, which make them collect their goods and run away for a few hours. And then we come back, because we do not have other source of income, explains Suresh.

His friend Shiva, a bag seller, said the BMP should provide them with alternative space or tents from where they can conduct their business. “But instead of solving our problems, the BMP inspectors only police us and take bribes to keep our business running,” he rues.

Jayanagar IV Block Corporator Nagaraj says the BMP has been making efforts to make the area hawker-free, but it has not been successful.

“We have been coaxing the hawkers to shift to other places but they refuse to go because they fear they will lose customers.

Now we are planning to landscape the complex surroundings so that these hawkers are removed. We are going to take strict action against them,” Nagaraj says.