Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: HC Grants Temporary Relief To Hawkers During Diwali

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Aurangabad division bench of the Bombay High Court has granted temporary relief to registered hawkers and handcart vendors in the city during Diwali. The bench, comprising Justice Nitin Suryawanshi and Justice Aabasaheb Shinde, directed the municipal corporation and the administration not to take coercive action against them until further orders.

The relief was granted following a petition filed by Chitra Jagtap, president of the Lokseva Hathgadi Chalak Malak Sahakari Sanstha. The bench issued notices to the respondents and scheduled the next hearing for January 11, 2027. The interim order has brought relief to thousands of hawkers and handcart vendors in the city.

The petition stated that the organisation is registered with the competent authority under the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act. It also referred to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, enacted by the Union Government, which guarantees street vendors the right to livelihood, social security and occupational independence.

The petitioners stated that an application had been submitted to the municipal corporation seeking a survey of hawkers and street vendors in the Paithan Gate and Sabji Mandi areas, their registration and the issuance of certificates and identity cards.

Advocate Avinash R Borulkar appeared for the petitioners, while Assistant Public Prosecutor Neha Kamble represented the state government and Advocate Parth Salunke appeared for the municipal corporation.