The
Delhi High Court has directed the authorities here to ensure that there are no
illegal hawkers or vendors in Connaught Place.
In
a hearing held on Friday, a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan
directed the Delhi Police and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to
strictly implement its 2021 order which asserted that there has to be zero
tolerance towards all unauthorised hawkers.
The
bench, also comprising Justice Mini Pushkarna, observed that the situation
which arose in Nehru Market in 2021 -- when fire tenders could not access a
building where a fire broke out -- cannot happen again.
We
can't have vendors in every nook and corner, the court said as it asked the
authorities to come up with a protocol to deal with the re-entry of vendors
even after their removal.
NDMC
and Delhi Police shall ensure that the order of this court (of October 2021) is
implemented in letter and spirit, it ordered.
The
court was hearing a petition by the association of traders of shop owners in
the Connaught Place area -- Rajiv Chowk and Indira Chowk.
The
petitioner sought directions to the authorities to ensure illegal hawking and
squatting/vending activities in the 'No Hawking' and 'No Vending' areas of
Connaught Place and Connaught Circus stop permanently and the areas are kept
free from encroachments by illegal hawkers and vendors/squatters.
In
October 2021, the court issued a stern warning to the NDMC and police for
failing to comply with the scheme of keeping the Connaught Place area free of
unauthorised vendors.
There
should be zero tolerance shown by them, and all hawkers, vendors except the
original 80 odd vendors... should be removed bag and baggage. The rule of law
has to prevail, and we cannot allow the city to be taken over by illegal
encroachers/vendors, the court had said.
It
had also asked the authorities to display permanent boards in the entire Rajiv
Chowk and the Indira Chowk areas displaying the fact that the area is a no
hawking and no vending zone.