Kolkata, July 25 -- The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has introduced a coordinated institutional mechanism to address the occupation of public spaces by vagabonds through a structured, citywide initiative aimed at ensuring both urban cleanliness and humane rehabilitation.
The initiative involves joint efforts by multiple KMC departments and local police stations to carry out regular drives and inspections. These actions are designed to monitor and manage the presence of vagabonds in public areas, while facilitating their relocation to designated shelters. The Social Welfare & Urban Poverty Alleviation (SWUPPA) department, under the leadership of the chief manager, will lead this operation. A roster for joint drives will be prepared every 10 days, with each drive covering different boroughs of the city in rotation.
This rotational approach is intended to ensure systematic and inclusive coverage across all wards.
The joint drives will be conducted in collaboration with the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department, Civil Engineering department and respective local police stations. These entities will provide necessary logistical and administrative support, including the provision of vehicles, staff and documentation of outcomes. In parallel, the Advertisement and Civil Engineering departments have been assigned the responsibility of inspecting public structures such as bus shelters on a weekly basis. These inspections will focus on identifying encroachments or unhygienic occupation by vagabonds. Inspection reports are to be submitted every Monday to the SWUPPA department, outlining the current status and any corrective actions taken.
A centralised database will be maintained by the SWUPPA department to track the outcomes of each drive and identify areas with recurring occupation issues.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.