Hawkers mushroom near Charminar, rent spaces

Hyderabad: Hawkers who were not allowed to do business around Charminar are hoping for political intervention but no one has come forward to rescue them.

During Ramzan, petty traders are given permission to do business on carts and set up temporary sheds in and around Charminar. As a result, hawkers started mushrooming on the stretch of Charminar-Macca Masjid and grabbed the open area near the monuments.

The GHMC and traffic police did not disturb them after the holy month. Taking advantage of the leniency, most traders began occupying new spaces and then selling the  occupied spots to other traders. Some even let out the spaces on daily rents.

ACP, traffic, G. Naganna said these traders started believing that they had become the owners of the occupied space and altercations among them become a daily routine. He said that some of them were taking money from new traders under the guise of contribution to police. A few days back, two traders quarrelled near Charminar for sharing '50,000 that one of them had reportedly received. “When we inquired it was revealed that the amount was collected by stating that it was a bribe for the police,” Mr Naganna said.

DCP, Traffic II, Mr Babu Rao said only those traders will be allowed to do business who have a hawker’s licence issued by the GHMC and those who approached the High Court and got orders in their favour. These hawkers will be provided space on the proposed bridge on the Musi river near the Salar Jung Museum.

Officials belonging to the Charminar and Hussaini Alam police stations held a meeting at Sana Garden on Wednesday with hawkers of the area and counselled them on behaviour. They asked them to maintain decorum with tourists coming to the area.