By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Friday allowed as many as 67 hawkers, who were displaced by a beautification plan of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), to operate from a commercial complex in south Delhi’s Nehru Place area.
The bench of the court was hearing a petition filed by an NGO called Manushi Sangathan alleging that the DDA and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) were harassing the hawkers at the District Centre in Nehru Place and depriving them of their livelihood.
The DDA had planned a development project for the District Centre and asked the hawkers operating there to vacate the area in May 2006 as part of their plan.
Pronouncing the judgement, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said: “There was no need for such haste and hurry on the part of DDA.”
The bench said the hawkers have every right to pursue their occupation as long as they do not create nuisance or inconvenience to the public.
However, the Bench directed DDA to go ahead with the project for development of the commercial complex and said: “DDA is directed to continue with the pilot project. Sixty-seven hawkers will be permitted to hawk in the area which was demarcated by DDA prior to their removal on April 19, 2008”.