Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is all set to allot stalls inside a newly constructed multi-storied building to 175 hawkers who were temporarily shifted to Jatin Das Park during the Kalighat Skywalk project.
According to KMC, the 175 stalls will be allotted only to the stall holders who were shifted for the project work. The allotment will be on the basis of a licence which will be valid for five years or as will be decided by the civic body. Officials said that the newly-given stalls cannot be transferred without permission.
The hawkers who would be allotted the stalls will be bearing the maintenance and operation cost of the building except the space under occupation of the civic body. However, the KMC’s Market department shall have control of the entire building except the fourth floor which is earmarked for the Lighting department. The property will also be added to the civic body’s inventory of immovable properties.
Once the hawkers shift to this new facility, KMC will begin demolishing the temporary stalls at the park.
The proposal is likely to get approved once it is placed before the monthly meeting of the civic body on Saturday.
For the skywalk construction project, space was required at the Kalighat Refugee Hawkers Corner on the junction of Kali Temple Road and SP Mukherjee Road to provide infrastructure. Accordingly, it was decided that 175 hawkers will be shifted temporarily at Jatin Das Park and finally rehabilitate them at the newly constructed building at the same space.
Work for the skywalk had started in 2021 and had missed several deadlines that included July and August end too.
The total cost involved in the construction has been to the tune of Rs 80 crore approximately.