‘No vending, hawking in Connaught Place’

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the authorities here to ensure that there are no illegal hawkers or vendors in Connaught Place.

In a hearing held on Friday, a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan directed the Delhi Police and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to strictly implement its 2021 order which asserted that there has to be “zero tolerance” towards all unauthorised hawkers.

The bench, also comprising Justice Mini Pushkarna, observed that the situation which arose in Nehru Market in 2021 -- when fire tenders could not access a building where a fire broke out -- cannot happen again.

‘We can’t have vendors in every nook and corner,’ the court said as it asked the authorities to come up with a protocol to deal with the re-entry of vendors even after their removal.

‘NDMC and Delhi Police shall ensure that the order of this court (of October 2021) is implemented in letter and spirit,’ it ordered.

The court was hearing a petition by association of traders of shop owners in Connaught Place area, Rajiv Chowk and Indira Chowk.