BMC to set up commando force to evict hawkers 8212; Khairnar

Mumbai, May 9: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC would intensify its drive for removing hawkers illegally occupying public spac...

Mumbai, May 9: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC would intensify its drive for removing hawkers illegally occupying public spaces in the metropolis in the coming weeks by pressing its own commandos, BMC deputy commissioner G R Kharinar said here today.

Khairnar told PTI that within a few weeks BMC would increase the tempo of the process of removing illegal hawkers from Churchgate to Goregaon, which began on Saturday, by deploying more people, including commandos, for the job.

He said this time the exercise would not be an eyewash like similar drives earlier but would be a serious one with commandos patrolling areas cleared of illegal hawkers.

Accepting that the task was stupendous, he said initially it will be a hide and seek8217; game which he claimed was very essential to prepare the hawkers mentally to convey the message that the BMC means business this time.

Khairnar, who aims at removing the hawkers upto Goregaon but has been able to proceed till Jogeshwari till today, said 8220;Initially we are allowing them to take away their goods and destroying only their temporary structures but later we will be confiscating their goods8221;.

8220;A majority of quot;hawkersquot; enjoy patronage of civic license department and other senior officials and most of them were controlled by powerful syndicates enjoying protection from the underworld, he said adding that big gangsters like Amar Naik started their criminal career from such hawkership.

8220;My aim is to transform them into hawkers who occupy places legally and who do not promote anti-social activities or become anti-social elements,8221; he said.

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Regarding the demolition of hutments at Daulat Nagar inSanta Cruz 8212; his first job after being reinstated after a six-year suspension, Khairnar said June 15 is the ultimatum the BMC has given to the State Government to spell about alternate arrangements for the hutment dwellers as the 8220;political pressure on BMC is not allowing demolition as per High court orders8221;.

8220;Irrespective of any decision by the government, BMC will go ahead and demolish the entire colony after June 15 and complete the job by October 31,8221; he said.