Mamool, a regular feature between police and hawkers

Hyderabad: Street vendors, hawkers and mobile vendors at Nerdmet, ECIL, Yapral, Alwal and Saket allege that have fixed amounts to give the GHMC and police personnel. Those at the weekly markets pay Rs 50 each to GHMC staff, Rs 100 to police personnel and Rs 50 for ‘extra expenses’.

This is collected by the people who allot them places and allow them to sit on roads to sell vegetables, fruits, ready to eat foods like samosa, popcorn, plastic ware and accessories.

Veera Raju, a ‘coordinator’ in Alwal, said, “Each vendor hands over the money to the coordinator and it is disbursed to the various departments. The roads become dirty and GHMC staff cleans them in the morning. To ensure that there are no problems the police is informed and paid their ‘fee’.”

The weekly markets require tables and lights and these are provided by the coordinators. Permission is required from the police as there is continuous vehicle movement.

Vendors who go to the interior colonies also pay up. Sangam P., a vendor in the ECIL area, who goes around on a cycle, says, “We pay Rs 500 a month to an agent. We are a group of 50 people who go on cycles beyond Cherlapally. If we are stopped by civic workers or police officials, we refer to his name and are let go.”

The vendors earn between Rs 500 and Rs 5,000 a day depending on what they sell. Most of them have regular clients.