Forced to pay ‘unofficial rents’, hawkers ask govt to put an end to ‘hafta nexus’
Moulika.KV | TNN | Jan 28, 2019, 13:02 IST
HYDERABAD: The politics of hawking spots are an open secret in Hyderabad’s streetvending sector. While hawkers encroach pavements and cause inconvenience to pedestrians and commuters, activists say they are allowed to do so by bribing local leaders and police in some areas.
“Most street vendors or hawkers operate without a licence or a registered business name and hence do not pay tax to the government. Therefore, they are illegal businesses. These vendors must pay cops or local leaders a bribe, so that the authorities look the other way and don’t arrest them for conducting business in an illegal manner,” said Mohammed Habeeb, a social activist.
Hawkers, on the other hand, say on many occasions they were forced to pay their “unofficial rents” on time even on days when business has been dull.
“Those who collect money from hawkers are usually not seen collecting the bribe directly from the hawkers. The work is given to middlemen who usually collect money daily, sometimes by force, and hand it over to the main person. If we want to run the business, we must give the money even when we do not make any profits,” said a hawker at Laad Bazaar, on condition of anonymity.
Leaders of hawker unions say that paying illegal dues to hafta collectors is rampant even as the police and civic authorities are aware of this extortion. To stop these illegalities, members of the hawkers’ welfare association took to social media and requested the government to investigate the matter.
Mohd Amer, president of Laad Bazaar Welfare Association, posted on Facebook, “Complaint against local leaders and the shop owners who are taking money from the poor hawkers. Daily Rs 600 is being collected from them and the total collection goes up to Rs 1 or 2 lakhs approximately each day”.
He added that 8-10 agents collect money from hawkers and give it to a few shop owners in the area as well as local leaders. “Whenever the police initiate any action, local leaders interfere and misbehave with the officers,” said Amer.
“Most street vendors or hawkers operate without a licence or a registered business name and hence do not pay tax to the government. Therefore, they are illegal businesses. These vendors must pay cops or local leaders a bribe, so that the authorities look the other way and don’t arrest them for conducting business in an illegal manner,” said Mohammed Habeeb, a social activist.
Hawkers, on the other hand, say on many occasions they were forced to pay their “unofficial rents” on time even on days when business has been dull.
“Those who collect money from hawkers are usually not seen collecting the bribe directly from the hawkers. The work is given to middlemen who usually collect money daily, sometimes by force, and hand it over to the main person. If we want to run the business, we must give the money even when we do not make any profits,” said a hawker at Laad Bazaar, on condition of anonymity.
Leaders of hawker unions say that paying illegal dues to hafta collectors is rampant even as the police and civic authorities are aware of this extortion. To stop these illegalities, members of the hawkers’ welfare association took to social media and requested the government to investigate the matter.
Mohd Amer, president of Laad Bazaar Welfare Association, posted on Facebook, “Complaint against local leaders and the shop owners who are taking money from the poor hawkers. Daily Rs 600 is being collected from them and the total collection goes up to Rs 1 or 2 lakhs approximately each day”.
He added that 8-10 agents collect money from hawkers and give it to a few shop owners in the area as well as local leaders. “Whenever the police initiate any action, local leaders interfere and misbehave with the officers,” said Amer.
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