Anit Thapa, the chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), on Sunday instructed the Darjeeling municipality to ensure hawkers were removed from the pavements of the Chowrasta area immediately.
Chowrasta, the famous promenade of Darjeeling, had become hawker-free after more than a decade on August 13, 2024. The Darjeeling municipality had earmarked the area as no-vending zone.
However, some hawkers eventually returned to the Mall area, including Chowrasta, even though the GTA is building a hawkers’ market at Chowrasta to accommodate them.
On Sunday, Thapa said: “I have directed the Darjeeling municipality to ensure that hawkers are removed from the pavements immediately.”
He added that he had been “too lenient” while dealing with hawkers.