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TRADE
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HAWKERS
Like pedlars in rural areas, their counterpart in urban areas viz., hawkers play an important role in the retail trade of the district. However, organized trading activities due to urbanisation, a product of industrial revolution, and the resultant evolution of shops (big or small), do not give much scope to hawkers especially in towns and cities. Even then they continue to be prominent in semi-urban areas. They sell comparatively cheaper articles usually in every day use, viz. peppermints, sugarcane juice, cheap utensils, toys, agarbattis, fruits, sweetmeats and a number of petty articles.
There were 34 hawkers in Kolhapur in 1955-56, a majority of them being found in the " C " ward of the town. Hawkers who sold tea, sweetmeats, bhel, etc., were licensed and a licence fee of Rs. 2 each per month was collected from them. However, those who sold kurmure, groundnuts, fruits, etc., were not required to take licences. They were found to be doing their business near the railway station, bus stand and theatres.
In Ichalkaranji town there were nearly 100 hawkers in 1955-56. The municipality collected licence fees at the rate of Rs. 2 per annum from hawkers carrying fruits and vegetables on their heads and selling them to customers, Rs. 4 per annum were collected from those who used hand-carts and Rs. 8 per annum from hawkers who used vehicles drawn by mechnical-power, etc.
The following municipalities viz., (1) Murgud, (2) Gadhinglaj, (3) Kagal, (4) Kurundwad, (5) Vadgaon, (6) Malkapur and (7) Panhala reported that there were no hawkers in their municipal limits. However, in some municipal towns hawkers from nearby areas used to come on bazar day or days to sell their goods. |
