Focus was on awareness
The action followed a Sept 16 directive of a division bench headed by Chief Justice Ravindra V Ghuge, which had asked the authorities to ensure that illegal trade at the weekly market was stopped from Sunday. “We have more than 700 members.
“No official seizure was made by police or Customs during the inspection,” a source said, adding that the first day largely focused on enforcement, awareness and verification of vendors. This is a century-old market and there was a time when the govt itself asked us to operate from here,” said Amar Chakraborty, a member of the market association. Now we are being told that we cannot trade on the road until KMC trade licences are issued. We have accepted the court’s order and are trying to comply with it. ” Officials said the focus of the exercise would be to separate legitimate pet and plant trade from the sale of protected species and other activities prohibited under existing laws and the court order.
Officials inspected the Sunday market, popularly known as Sokher Haat, while banners on the curbs were put up at several points. Police also made repeated announcements asking traders without KMC trade licences not to operate. The Bagbazar Sokher Haat Welfare Association also joined the drive, which focused on awareness on day one , using speakers to ask traders to comply with the court order and stop dealing in animals, birds, fish or plants that could not be legally sold. The court had directed that protected and endangered species of animals, birds, butterflies and plants could not be sold illegally and that traders must possess valid documents wherever such sale was legally permissible. Customs authorities were asked to take necessary steps to enforce the restrictions. Shyampukur police have also issued a notice stating that vendors would require a valid KMC trade licence to sit at the market. “We have been doing business for years. Many traders do not have licences.
Kolkata: Kolkata Police and Customs officials descended on the century-old Galiff Street pet market in north Kolkata on Sunday morning to enforce a high court order against the illegal sale of protected wildlife, birds, fish, plants and other pets, while also restricting vendors without valid licences from setting up stalls.