Hawkers on the sands of the Marina will be relocated to a spot perpendicular to Kamarajar Salai (Beach Road). They will be restricted to the area behind the Labour Statue and behind the Gandhi statue, the Chennai Corporation stated in its scheme submitted to the Madras High Court on Thursday.
According to the scheme, no permanent shops or structures would be permitted in the sandy area. Only mobile or pushcarts would be permitted. Mobile carts would be located at the rear side of the two statues. As many as 1,500 such shops could be provided in these two areas.
Hawkers would be issued with identity cards and they alone would be permitted to sell goods on the beach. Drop gates would be provided at all entry points and the movement of hawkers on the beach would be regulated at the entry point itself by verifying their ID cards. Security personnel would be appointed to operate the gate and regulate the hawkers on the beach. Also, their entry at the beach would be restricted to certain timings.
The hawkers would have to keep dustbins and prevent littering of their business area. The Corporation might levy a suitable charge for the use of the space, the scheme added.
However, senior advocate R Gandhi, appearing for K Balaji, president of Gandhiji Consumer Association, was not enthused with the scheme. He sought time to file objections and also to suggest alternative mechanisms. The first bench of Acting Chief Justice R K Agrawal and Justice M Sathiyanarayanan adjourned the matter by a week.