BREWING CONTROVERSY: Establishing hawking zones is perceived to be imperative in Mysore to prevent hawkers from encroaching upon pavements. — Photo: M.A. Sriram

MYSORE: The debate over the hawkers' rights to transact business in public places in the light of the recent confrontation between them and a few politicians has gained momentum with citizens' groups and individuals taking up cudgels on their behalf.

A former councillor led a protest seeking their eviction from the area surrounding the Town Hall following which there was a counter-protest by hawkers. The brewing controversy has thrown afresh the debate on the imperatives of declaring hawking zone in the city.

Convener of the Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) Bapu Satyanarayana said that it was time the authorities took action to regulate hawking in the city. It was pointed out that for thousands of hawkers, it was the only source of livelihood and there were several judgments by the Supreme Court to regulate hawking.

He said the most important judgment was that the local authorities should demarcate hawking zones and no-hawking zones in their jurisdiction. But this aspect of the court ruling had been flouted.

Listing out a set of actions to resolve the issue, the MGP convenor said society should recognise that hawkers had their right for livelihood. Stressing the need for hawking zone and no-hawking zone, it was pointed out that every city had its own peculiarities and hence, a scheme should be conceived to meet the local requirements. In this context, it was noted that Mysore was full of heritage structures and it was important to keep the hawking zone away from them. The other suggestions mooted included providing toilets and drinking water facility in hawking zones to ensure clean surroundings and monitoring of these places by the authorities. The introduction of "pay and hawk" concept was also mooted to regulate hawkers.

Noting that the surroundings of the Town Hall have been vitiated owing to encroachment and unhygienic conditions, the MGP pointed out that the ambience of the heritage structure had been spoiled and one could not be a mute witness to degrading the space around it. Therefore, it was necessary that the authorities concerned should take action to prevent encroachment, it said.

The city corporation toyed with the idea of identifying hawkers' zone in the city many years ago, but nothing happened.

An attempt was made when vegetable vendors were evicted from the area surrounding the Mysore Palace. But once the vendors were shifted to M.G. Road, the issue was forgotten.

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