NEW DELHI: Upset with the unauthorised hawking in the Walled city area, the Delhi High Court has sought explanation from the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) on how such activities are allowed in the no-vending zones.
A division bench comprising justices Vipin Sandhi and Jasmeet Singh has directed the municipal body to file its response within three weeks or before the next date of hearing, which is November 10. The court was hearing an 'urgent' application filed by Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal (CCSVM), traders association, seeking direction to Delhi Police and NDMC to ensure that hawkers and squatters in the no-hawking zones in Chandni Chowk and Subhash Marg shouldn’t be included in the survey being carried out by the civic agency.
The court also issued instructions to submit names of the police and municipal officials concerned to regulate such activities. "We direct the respondents to deal with the allegations made in the application. It should be explained as to why the vending and hawking activities are permitted to be carried out in the already declared no-hawking/ no-vending zones," said the order.
Senior advocate appearing for the CCSVM contended that despite repeated directions of the court, hawkers and vendors removed by the authorities reoccupied the public places. "Instead of fresh instructions, the bench sought to know why previous orders aren't being complied with. Hence, the judges issued directions to the civic agency to explain why hawkers and vendors are still squatting in areas where such activities are not permitted," said Sanjay Bhargava, president of CCSVM.
The court also directed the Town Vending Committee (TVC) to duly record all the hawkers and vendors occupying space in the no-hawking or no-vending zones separately. Illegal hawking has been an issue plaguing in Delhi for a long time. The court has been issuing orders and directions on occasions but the authorities have miserably failed to tackle the menace.
Frequent actions are initiated, penalised, and their goods are also seized however they return to the sites thereafter. In September 2019, the government constituted 28 town vending committees to identify eligible street vendors.