Present Scenario of Street Hawkers in Contemporary Kolkata From Our Data Bank.
1. Percentage of Hawkers Trade Wise:
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| Figure 4 |
In the Figure4 under the category ‘others' we present the following goods items:-
1. Gift Item, 2. Glass, 3. Hair Cutter, 4.Jaributi, 5.Lock & Key, 6.Lottery, 7.Mobile Cover, 8.Pan, 9.Plants, 10.Plastic Item, 11.Repairing, 12. Ruber Stamp, 13.Sanitary Goods, 14. Shoe, 15. Shoe Polish, 16. Soap, 17. Stationery, 18. Sticks, 19. Sun Glass 20. Tools, 21. Type Writing, 22. Plastic Table Cloth, 23. Umbrella,24. Utilities 25. Watch, 26. Wooden Articles etc.
The percentage of hawkers of the above categories of hawking in Kolkata is represented below.
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| Figure 5 |
2. Frequency Distribution of Hawkers in Contemporary Kolkata:
Now we will present the Frequency Distribution of Hawkers in Contemporary Kolkata. At the time of the interview it was brought to our notice that the hawking in Kolkata
started in the mid of forties. The graphical presentation is given below.
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| Figure 6 |
3. Trade wise Investment vs. Sales vs. Profit:
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| Figure 7 |
The above table shows that average initial investment Rs.8286 and average monthly sales against such investment is Rs.19595 i.e. Rs.653 per day. After meeting their expenses hawkers earn average Rs.4752 per month i.e. Rs.158 per day. It is to be noted that average sales and profit (i.e. income) in bag, fruits, garments and vegetable item is high as compared to other trades. Lack of Capital is compared one of the major problems of hawkers. They are forced to borrow at high interest rate from different private financial sectors.
4. Per Day profit of Hawkers in Contemporary Kolkata according to age Group:
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| Figure 8 |
The Figure8 shows the per day average profit (i.e. income) of hawkers according to age group. Hawkers between the age group of 30-40 are earning maximum amount.
5. Educational attainment by hawkers.
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| Figure 9 |
The above diagram shows that only 20% hawkers are illiterate and balance 80% are literate. It is to be noted that 37% hawkers are middle school pass, 15 % hawkers are secondary pass, 7% hawkers are Higher Secondary pass, 3% hawkers are graduate and above. Regarding the qualification of the hawkers we like to mention that 62.2% of hawkers are eligible to get government service as per qualification norm of the country. But the system of our country has debarred them from getting job in the government sector. It has turned them to a street hawker.
On the basis of field survey in the first stage we are placing here the opinion of the students enumerators and also the experience of street hawkers in the process of hawking.
• In order to operate their business in a space, which is solely, public property for public use and therefore totally closed to private business the hawkers have to make annual clandestine payment of Rs.14.40 crore p.a. to various authorities.
• Hawkers are sometime exploited by the agents of trade union leaders, politicians, police, K.M.C and civic councillors i.e. they have to pay bribe to earn their bread.
• The business generated by the street hawkers is beyond any one's wildest imagination i.e. Rs.3527 crore in the last year. • Rs.14.40 crore they part with a bribe is just 2% of the average income of the Kolkata street Hawkers p.a. i.e. 2% of 855 crores.
• They express that conducting sidewalk business is impossible without the nod of the political godfathers of the area, agents of the union leaders, local police station and civic councillors i.e. in every area one will find someone controlling pavement rights. It has also come to our notice that for 10 square ft. of a pavement one has to shell out at- least Rs.50,000 to Rs.1,00,000 as salami to a political godfather. It is a little known fact that since unemployed city youths cannot pay this kind of money, people from neighbouring states even from Bangladesh are occupying the pavement. The above scenario was not existing when the ruling party of the state was in opposition i.e. during sixties and onwards. As per the statement made by the hawkers, almost all the hawkers of the Kolkata was then under the leadership of trade union guided by Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Forward Block. The aged hawkers of South, Cenrtal, North Kolkata informed us regarding the history of street hawkers. They stated that in the sixties the State Government was controlled by Congress Party. At that time the State Government launched operation for removing Hawkers. Communist party of India (Marxist) and other left parties then organized the hawkers in active protest. Soon after the Congress party was ousted from the State. Later when the Left Front was firmly in saddle for around two decades it launched operation 'Sun Shine' in 1996. The officers of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (K.M.C) along with police battalion demolished the sidewalk stalls of thousands of hawkers. Such stalls had lined the city through fares for nearly three decades. They stated that due to this drive they were divided and some of them moved to opposition party. Their unified trade union was broken. Following ‘The hawkers removing right', the K.M.C Commissioner had issued a notification imposing certain restrictions on the movement of hawkers on 21 streets in the city. Subsequently K.M.C and police allowed the hawkers to reoccupy gradually the pavements of street from which they have been evicted . Regarding the removing of the hawker the matter rolled on to the court as public interest. In 1996 Hon'ble Calcutta High Court asked the State Government to submit a detailed report on pavement encroachment. In 1998 another case demanding rehabilitation of hawkers was moved to the Hon'ble Court . In 2003 Hon'ble High Court asked the State Government to clarify its stand on hawkers. In 2005 the State Government informed the High Court that a uniform policy on rehabilitation of hawkers was underway. Before hand the Central Government had introduced a national policy on Urban street vendors. The State Government had already given their considered opinion on that policy in 2005. Ultimately Hon'ble Mayor of Kolkata, Sri Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharjee announced that hawkers would be allowed to stay on all pavements across the city and they would be allowed to occupy one third of the pavement. But they would not be allowed to occupy space within 50-meter radius of road crossing or build any structures. He also said that the hawkers would not be allowed to hawk in the carriageway. No polythene shade would be allowed, they would be allowed to sit with 5 feet by 3 feet kiosk and they would have to remove kiosk after the business is over. Subsequently an apex body was formed according to national policy in the year 2007. In this apex body the representatives of K.M.C, Kolkata Police and different hawkers union participated. In the apex body meeting the announcement of the Hon'ble Mayor with an addition that identity card would be issued to hawkers was accepted .
• It is also noticed that specially in South some hawkers are the owners of two or three stalls. They engage two or three persons in each stall to look into the hawking business with a remuneration of Rs.80/- to 100/- per day. At night owners come and collect the sale proceeds of the whole day. At the time of the interview the employees expressed their grievances regarding the above system but they have nothing to do. It is known to the all the hawkers' union and they have no role regarding this affairs of business.
• In some areas proper latrine facilities are not available which cause grievances among the hawkers. They also expressed grievance that their business come to a stall in the rainy season because of water logging in the street and also for want of shade.
• They also stated that as they are not getting bank loan from the bank to keep their business running so they are compelled to take help of the "Mahajan" or money lenders for running the business with a high interest rate.
• They also informed us that the KMC authority has conducted a survey in some areas of kolkata for issuing identity card to the hawkers. The trade unions of the street hawkers both "Left or Right" collaborated with this information.
• During the field survey in north, central, and west of kolkata the street hawkers informed us that they are contributing towards the personal contribution to the provident fund as introduced by the State Government in the unorganized sector.
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