Burdwan hawker rules will limit street vendors to one-third of the footpath, West Bengal minister Agnimitra Paul said after inspecting BC Road and finding large stretches occupied by hawkers, fruit sellers and roadside parking. The directive is intended to restore space for pedestrians while allowing vending to continue within specified limits.
Paul, who holds the state municipal affairs and urban development portfolios, inspected the road from Curzon Gate to BC Road on Friday after attending an event organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Burdwan. During the inspection, she found hawkers occupying a substantial portion of the road and footpath. Several fruit stalls were reportedly operating directly on the road, leaving little space for people to walk.
The minister said hawkers would be permitted to use one-third of the footpath. The instruction seeks to establish a defined limit for vending rather than remove all hawking activity from the road, according to the report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal.
Paul also directed action against traders who have been allotted space in a hawkers’ market but are not using those shops. According to the report, some such traders allegedly rent out their allotted shops and continue operating from the footpath instead. The minister instructed them to leave the road and conduct business from the locations assigned to them.
Roadside parking was also covered during the inspection. Paul asked that parking rules be followed so that roads remain clear and pedestrian movement is not obstructed. The instructions come ahead of Durga Puja, a period when streets and markets typically see increased commercial and pedestrian activity, although the report does not provide a specific enforcement schedule.
The minister said that hawkers should not occupy roads while conducting business. She also instructed officials to take action against anyone who continued to violate the stated rules. The report does not specify the penalties, enforcement agency or deadline for compliance.
The directive follows similar efforts to clear illegal hawking and encroachments from other parts of the state. The report refers to removals in areas including Jadavpur and to opposition from Paul to the occupation of pedestrian space along Park Street. Those actions have generated controversy, but the minister’s stated position has been that roads and footpaths must remain usable for pedestrians.
The Burdwan inspection highlights the administrative challenge of managing streets that serve simultaneously as pedestrian routes, vending spaces, parking areas and commercial corridors. In this case, the immediate instructions combine a space allocation for hawkers with action against traders who allegedly do not use their designated market premises.
The next step is enforcement on BC Road. Officials have been instructed to ensure that hawkers remain within the one-third footpath limit, that traders use allotted hawkers’ market shops, and that roadside parking follows the prescribed rules. The report does not state whether a formal written order has been issued or identify the local authority responsible for carrying out the instructions.
