Corporation to frame new licensing system for hawkers on city beaches

Following directions of a division bench comprising Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice Anita Sumanth, the corporation submitted that the separate and specific bye-laws will provide for a new licensing system for the hawkers with the license fee provided therein and with a cap on number of licensed hawkers on all city beaches, so that the business of hawkers on the said beaches can be regulated under those by-laws.

Also, recording the corporation’s submission that the by-laws will be apart from the rules under the enactment of street vendors presently governing the beach area, the bench directed the placing of the newly framed by-laws before the court ahead of next hearing on February 5.

The bench, on a submission made by Additional Advocate General S R Rajagopal, impleaded five associations — Mylai Nochikuppam Meenavar Grama Sangham, Meenavar Makkal Munnani, Thenninthya Meenavar Nala Sangma, Tamil Nadu Meenavar Munnetra Sangam and Tamil Nadu Meenavar Makkal Munnani Sangam — representing the fishermen of the Marina beach and Loop Road areas into the case.

Based on this, the bench then directed the president of these associations to file their affidavit in court with details of their members along with a common undertaking that they will cooperate to maintain cleanliness of beaches and also the Loop Road area and shall act as further directed by the court.

The bench also recorded the submissions made by the counsels of hawkers’ associations like Chennai Nadukuppam Avvaiyar Silai Manarparappu Sirukadai Viyabarikal Sangam, Marina Vivekanandar Karparappu Viyabarigal Sangam and Nethaji Subash Chandra Bose Manal Viyabarigal Sangam that similar kind of undertakings of the individual members of the Fishermen’s Associations to cooperate in the matter will be furnished to the court by the next date of hearing.

“If the members of the associations have any suggestions for the Corporation to be considered, the Corporation shall provide them an opportunity of hearing, while framing the bye-laws,” the bench added.