Agartala, April 8 ( TIWN):In last three years, 481 hawkers have been evicted from Agartala city, 284 hawkers were given accommodation at various markets and stalls. Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) has taken action against hawkers in the city several times in the last one month. However, it remains unsuccessful in making the area hawker free as they reoccupy the road within hours of the drive.

The AMC has conducted similar drives against hawkers for the past many years at heart of the city .They occupy significant area, affecting traffic movement. The presence of hawkers is also leading to severe shortage of parking space. 

Swapan Saha, an  AMC's administrative officer, said that the civic body finds it difficult to remove encroachments across the city. "We need an effective mechanism to deal with the menace," he said. He  said that there is no dedicated zone for hawkers in the city. 
The AMC's anti-encroachment team comprises around 35 employees, five building inspectors and two officers, besides  two vehicles. 
As of now, the municipal authorities impose a penalty of Rs 500 per hawker and release their carts. A senior AMC officer, on condition of anonymity, said that the fine should be hiked. 
 Arnab Podder, a  hawker  opposed the AMC's action against hawkers. "The civic body failed to set up a dedicated hawkers' zone in the city but takes tough action against innocent hawkers. They should not carry out drives against hawkers unless they provides alternatives," he said.