Despite opposition by unions, BMC to implement SC order to allot spots for
23,950 licensed hawkers
Sayli Udas-Mankikar
Mumbai, April 2: Almost a month-and-a-half after the Supreme Court directed
the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to allot spots for 23,950
licensed hawkers in a phased manner, the BMC is finally gearing up to take
action. The SC order-which also asked the civic body to convert 236 roads
into exclusive hawking zones-was stalled due to strong opposition from
various hawkers’ unions.
“The entire process constituted reallocation of hawkers from the city to the
suburbs and from one ward to the other. We faced huge resistance from the
unions, but now we have decided to ignore it and go ahead,” said a senior
BMC official.
“A three-phase plan has been made-a short-term, medium-term and long-term
plan chalks out relocation plans for the 23,950 licensed hawkers,” said B R
Marathe, deputy municipal commissioner (Hawkers). Presently, only 15,159
hawkers have licenses to operate in the city and 8,791 hawkers still have to
be allotted their licenses and pitches.
In the first phase, 7,521 licensed hawkers will be shifted to hawking zones
from non-hawking zones. The Hawkers Licensing Department has identified the
required pitches at hawking zones for them and there will be lots drawn to
decide which road the hawker will be relocated to. “Hawkers will have to
abide by the roads allotted to them, otherwise, their licenses will be taken
away,” Marathe added.
In the second phase, 8,791 unlicensed hawkers out of the over 3 lakh
operating in the city will be granted licenses. again through a process of
drawing lots. They will be allotted pitches and the remaining hawkers will
be relocated to the existing hawkers’ plazas.
“While the relocation is taking place, SC guidelines about maintaining
hawking and no hawking zones will be strictly followed,” Marathe added. Not
allowing makeshift stalls, tables, handcarts in hawking zones, no hawking
within 100 meters of places of worship, educational institutions and
hospitals or within 150 meters of any municipal or non-municipal markets or
of any railway station are some of the other rules laid down by the apex
court. The Supreme Court further specifies that there should be no hawking
on footbridges and overbridges, and hawkers will be allowed to function only
between 7am and 10 pm.
The third phase, expected to take the maximum amount of time, will comprise
the restoration and construction of hawking plazas. These plazas will be
located at four sites: Navrang Garden (Andheri), Lokmanya Tilak Road
(Borivali), Sainath Road (Malad) and Andheri Palika Bazaar Hawkers’ Plaza.
By May 2007, the State government will frame regulations for implementing
the National Policy on Urban Street Vendors. The government would have
figured out the feasibility of implementing the policy, and will also take a
decision on the fate of the remaining over 2.76 lakh unlicensed hawkers
URL : http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=229755