Residents send postcards to TMC chief over hawkers 'menace'

Frustrated by the menace of hawkers, residents of at least twelve residential societies in Thane have sent 1000-odd postcards to municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal seeking his intervention into the issue.

They have demanded that the entire stretch of Gladys Alvares Marg be declared as a "no hawking zone".

"Despite holding protests like submitting representations to officials, arranging meetings with local corporators, organising a silent morcha and posting tweets, the TMC chief didn't bother to respond to our complaints. We want a permanent solution to the menace of hawkers," a secretary of a housing society said.

Another secretary said that hawkers have encroached upon footpaths, and that traffic snarls have become a regular feature.

"I am surprised that despite putting out 100 tweets addressing to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the TMC chief, Mayor and others, no action has been taken," he said.

When contacted, Dr Charusheela Pandit, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of the local ward, said the TMC has been taking action from time to time to remove illegal hawkers.

"Those residents wanted to remove the hawkers permanently which can be done by the civic body only after relocating them to a suitable place," she said.