HYDERABAD: The Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad will soon begin issuing biometric identity cards for all mobile vendors as part of the hawkers' policy announced last month with the approval of the High Court.

About 25,000 such cards are to be issued in the first phase with the circle offices to function as the designated photo location centres equipped with a web camera and a facility to take thumb impressions.

Laminated cards will have the name, father's name, home address and bar code but will not indicate the place of his business because "any mobile vendor has the right to conduct business activity wherever he finds it convenient," says Additional Commissioner (Planning & Projects) K. Dhananjaya Reddy.

Not confined

He points out that vendors will not be confined to weekend markets or specific spots as many keep moving about different areas. Biometric cards will help the MCH have a proper record of hawkers for any future reference and regulation.

The field staff will distribute letters asking all vendors and their associations to appear at the circle offices for a "two minute job" of taking photographs. There is no limit to the number of cards to be issued and all vendors will be covered.

Simultaneously, nearly 500 red and amber zone boards indicating `no hawkers' and `restricted vending' for specific periods of time respectively are to be put up on identified roads. Each road stretch will have three boards, red or amber.

In the next few weeks, the Corporation will face the tough task of `relocating' the vendors. Formation of local vending committees involving public representatives and others will also have to be taken up.

Deadline for booksellers

Footpath booksellers at Koti have been given a further three weeks time to vacate. Following HC orders, the 100-odd stalls will have to move either into the subway or to the commercial complex nearby at officially fixed rents.

"We will evict them if they do not free the footpath," Mr. Reddy asserted.

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