Hyderabad: Sultan Bazar hawkers seek permanent stalls
Hyderabad: The Sultan Bazaar hawkers staged a protest near Andhra Bank head office demanding that they be given space and not evicted. There are close to 500 street vendors located in the narrow stretch at Sultan Bazaar selling items ranging from pins, towels, bangles, curtains, napkins, bags, pillow covers, bindis and household decorative items.
However, with Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) constructing 4X5 feet platforms for only 160 plus hawkers, the rest are worried that they might have to forego their space and age-old business.
Sanjeev, a member of Human Rights Forum, says, "The Telangana Government promised to take care of the hawkers but is leaving out a majority of them by constructing platforms just for a selected few. Moreover, the representatives of Town Vending Committee were not consulted before taking a decision."
Devanuri Laxman Yadav, Sultan Bazaar Market Hawkers Union and member of the Town Vending Committee said, "According to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 natural markets that have been running for over 30 years should not be displaced. All the hawkers were given ID cards but only few are being given permanent place." He further added, "For the past few days, local police have been warning hawkersa not to sell and once the platforms are ready, the remaining would have to leave."
TIMELINE
• After Telangana government came to power it assured owners, traders, tenants and hawkers that their interests would be protected
• In 2015, the government explained that there was no other possible way for Metro to reach Imlibun and promised to protect the livlihoods of hawkers
• Mission for elimination of hawkers and GHMC provided them with ID cards. Now, keeping aside the hawkers' list, members of only one trade union are being accommodated.
• Many hawkers were kept out of purview of agreement between HMRL, GHMC and Hawkers unions. Now HMRL is providing infrastructure to only 160 hawkers under the Metro.
Fate of over 300 hawkers hangs in balance
• There are close to 500 hawkers selling wares in the lane
• A majority of them are mobile who keep walking up and down the stretch all day long
• On an average, a vendor takes home `300 a day and `500 during festivals