PUDUCHERRY : The Puducherry Municipal authorities have started the process for relocating all the hawkers from the beach area adjacent to the Gandhi Statue to a site close to a hotel on the beach.
This move follows the order of Lieutenant Governor Ajay Kumar Singh to this effect.
A notice was issued to shift the hawkers and they had given their consent in writing a few week ago to move to the new place.
S Thammu Ganapathy, Puducherry Municipal Commissioner, told Express on Monday that the place, which had been vacant for many years, was being cleared of the debris and garbage. The Municipal workers, with the help of an earth-moving equipment, were involved in levelling the ground in the area where the hawkers would be moving in, he said, adding that it might take a few more days to relocate the hawkers.
He further said care was being taken to guard the transformer located at the site as it supplies power to the Raj Niwas constituency. Railings would be erected around the transformer, he added.
According to sources, the hawkers were spoiling the beauty of the beach, and so have been asked to move. The tourists and local visitors to the beach front buy snacks etc and leave the food waste, paper plates, and garbage and plastic cups on the beach itself.
At present, there were about 125 hawkers near the Gandhi Thidal and their number was increasing while the rest of the beach front was being occupied by cart vendors.
On whether their business would be affected, Lakshmi, who sells maize, said that they might find it difficult to find customers in the relocated area until the people become familiar with it.
“We signed our consent to the suggestion for relocation so we have to shift,” said Adilakshmi, another woman vendor.