Delhi HC orders removal of illegal hawkers and vendors from Connaught Place
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has ordered officials to remove all unauthorized hawkers and vendors from Connaught Place. During the hearing on Friday, a bench of Justice Mini Pushkarna led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan directed the Delhi Police and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to strictly implement its 2021 order, which said that any There should be absolutely no tolerance for unauthorized persons. hawkers
The HC said the circumstances seen in Nehru Market in 2021 should not be repeated, in which fire tenders could not reach a building during a fire incident.
“We cannot have vendors in every nook and corner,” the court said. The court asked the authorities to formulate a protocol to deal with the re-entry of vendors even after their removal. NDMC and Delhi Police will ensure that the order (of October 2021) of this court is implemented in letter and spirit.
The remarks came during the hearing on a petition by shop owners and traders in the Connaught Place area.
The petitioner requested the court to order the authorities to permanently end illegal hawking and encroachment/vending activities in the designated ‘no hawking’ and ‘no vending’ zones of Connaught Place and Connaught Circus. The petitioner urged that these areas be kept free from encroachment by illegal hawkers, vendors and encroachers.
In October 2021, the court came down heavily on the police and NDMC for their failure to follow the plan to keep the Connaught Place area free from unauthorized vendors.
“They must have zero tolerance and all hawkers and vendors except the original 80 vendors must remove their bags and merchandise. The rule of law must prevail and we cannot allow the city to be taken over.” By illegal encroachers/vendors,” the court had said.
The HC had also asked the authorities to put up permanent boards throughout the Rajiv Chowk and Indira Chowk areas showing the fact that the area is a no-hawking and no vending zone.
