Mumbai: BMC to start process of electing hawker's representatives for TVC in December

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has come into action for the long-awaited hawkers policy, as it has planned to start the process of electing representatives from the hawker community for the Town Vending Committee (TVC) in December. Earlier, the conflict between hawkers and traders had shot up during the festive season of Diwali as there was no policy.

The busy shopping zones such as Dadar, Chembur, Ghatkopar, and Bandra were hotspots of fights between traders and hawkers during the festival. The argument kicked off in Dadar during Diwali when the hawkers encroached on the roads as well as the entrances of legitimate shops.

After the request of Dadar Vyapari Sangh, the civic officials began taking strict action on illegal hawkers outside Dadar station areas. Though a similar incident repeated in Chembur on October 30.

Chairman of the Chembur Merchants Association, Kishore Kulkarni, said, "During Diwali, the hawkers occupied footpaths as well as roads. They had also installed huge displays and sale wares that blocked the entrances of the shops. When we questioned them, the hawkers gathered in large numbers and started creating a ruckus. On their request, police and the BMC have now kept the roads free from hawkers since the last few days."

Traders but pedestrians are also facing the problem

Member of Ghatkopar Vyapari Mandal Khimji Chadwa said, "Not only traders but pedestrians are also facing the problem since the hawkers have encroached on footpaths and major areas of roads at Ghatkopar West. Why the state government, BMC, and police officials are not finding any solution. While the hawkers allege that there is a lack of political and administrative efforts to implement a policy."

The shopper’s market at Hill Road, Bandra, witnesses a huge crowd for street shopping, and M. Khan, one of the shop owners, complained saying that the hawkers stand in front of their shops, which affects their business. "Strict rules and regulations must be enforced to control the hawkers. We are all here to do business and make profit; one should not overpower the other or affect the business of the other."

One of the shop owners was also seen shouting at a hawker who was standing in front of his shop and taking payments for the sale of his products. He was asked to immediately go elsewhere and do his business.

BMC will never allow the implementation of hawkers' policies

Founder of Azad Hawkers Union Dayanand Singh said, "If shopkeepers don't put their products for sale beyond their boundaries, the hawkers will use the space." However, the due to allegedly curropt practices, BMC will never allow the implementation of hawkers' policies. He also pointed out that there are thousands of hawkers in the city who are not still away from survey.

Sanjog Kabre, deputy municipal commissioner, said, "As per the new guidelines of the state government, the process to elect the representative of Hawkers in TVC will be initiated in December. Then a plan will be drafted for deciding hawking zones." But he did not mention the period it will take to implement the above-mentioned plan.

In 2014, the central government directed all the states to implement the hawkers policy. Thereafter, the BMC conducted a survey of 1,28,444 hawkers. A total of 99,435 applications were registered to get a hunting license. The BMC had selected 15,631 applications for further processing.

Policy drafted in 2014

BMC surveyed 1,28,444 hawkers

99,435 applications received for licence

15,631 approved for further processing

Published on: Tuesday, November 08, 2022, 11:36 PM IST