Officials rid Badlapur skywalk of hawkers themselves

The officials marched up to the skywalk in Badlapur to rid it of hawkers themselves. Pic/Navneet Barhate

Fed up of hawkers coming back despite repeated action against them, the Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council chairman, corporators, and officials themselves raided a skywalk, and freed it for citizens.

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The authorities taking action on the field themselves seems to be new trend for civic bodies. In the last week of June the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation commissioner, Rajendra Nimbalkar, seized the cellphones of around 40 hawkers before a raid, as it could have lead to the failure of the action.

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Vaman Mhatre (45), the chairman of Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council, along with around 10 corporators from Shiv Sena, and council authorities raided the skywalk near Badlapur railway station. "There were a lot of complaints from citizens about the hawkers' menace. The authorities used to take action, but there was no progress. On Monday we raided it, but some hawkers who were alerted ran away, leaving their wares behind. We seized them and will see to it that the hawkers don't come back again," said Mhatre.

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"I myself get onto the field to ensure that proper action is taken. If they come back, proper action will be taken to teach them a lesson," he added.