Calcutta, Oct. 14 :    Calcutta, Oct. 14:  The Calcutta Municipal Corporation and the Calcutta Police chalked out a joint plan on Saturday to make Chowringhee and the surrounding areas of Esplanade and BBD Bag a 'hawker-free zone'. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting in mayor Subrata Mukherjee's chamber, attended by city police chief Dinesh Vajpai and DC, traffic, K. Harirajan. The move is the first major eviction drive in the city after Operation Sunshine in 1997. 'A sustained effort is needed to ensure that hawkers do not return after being evicted. We cannot maintain a hawker-free zone unless we get the cooperation from the police,' Mukherjee said. The mayor added that the drive against hawkers is part of the CMC's scheme to beautify the stretch from Victoria House at the Esplanade junction to Victoria Memorial. Other issues, including a sustained drive against illegal construction and banning of cyclerickshaws and cyclevans, also figured in the agenda for the meeting. Talking to reporters later, Mukherjee said a sustained effort is necessary to keep the city free from hawkers. Harirajan promised 'whole-hearted cooperation' to the CMC . 'We want to take a number of steps to ensure smooth traffic flow,' the DC, traffic, said. Vajpai was not available for comment. The mayor pointed out that once the drive is launched, not a single hawker would be allowed to set up shop on any of the 12 roads, identified as hawker-free zones. 'This time, we will not even allow hawkers with wicker baskets to sit anywhere on the pavements of these roads', he added. Mukherjee also claimed to have undertaken a scheme to repair the pavements along the roads and arrange for better illumination. The CMC has also sought cooperation from the city police to step up drives against promoters engaged in illegal construction across the city. He said the CMC had received complaints about more than 40 unauthorised buildings during the Puja holidays. All these illegal structures will be demolished soon, the mayor said. Ban on cyclerickshaws The Corporation has decided to ban the plying of cyclerickshaws and cyclevans across the city. The decision has been taken in view of the growing number of these light vehicles causing traffic snarls. Mukherjee said he had already directed municipal commissioner Debashish Som to stop renewal of cyclerickshaw licences with immediate effect. Cyclerickshaws are not allowed within the city police jurisdiction and major thoroughfares, according to the existing civic rules. But rickshaw-pullers are not adhering to the rules in areas like Tollygunge, Behala, Cossipore and Jadavpur.