Hawkers oppose beauty-stuck BMC

They fear that once the plan comes into action, a majority of them may not be accommodated in the hawking zones. Kapile states that some of the areas picked out for them will not be able to accommodate more than 10 per cent of the hawkers. Consequently, they fear that the entire exercise might be to merely dislodge them.

Hawkers who have been paying their rents regularly, told Express Newsline that the corporation officials have not approached them for a long time for the rent.

"The corporation did not guarantee stalls for the unlicensed hawkers and by not charging any rent, the corporation will brand us as unlicensed hawkers," they said.

Kapile alleged that the corporation demolished 150 stalls at M G Road, Goregaon, without giving any notice to the hawkers. The hawkers are apprehensive if they will be able to do any business at all henceforth.

Citing another instance, he said: "Four hawkers at Court Galli in Borivli were fined for three days. On the third day, the police slapped Section 151 against the four and put them in the lock-up for 24 hours." In another case, the corporation took away the goods from one Rajendra Ware’s stall at Fort. Ware maintained that usually the corporation returns the stuff after a fine of Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 is paid. But in his case the corporation has yet to return the goods worth Rs two lakh, which they have seized for over the last 24 days. Twenty five hawkers at Cross Maidan also had their goods taken away by the corporation on June 25. They have not been able to get it back so far.

Kapile alleged that the corporation was vacating the stalls only to hand them over for zunkha bhakar stalls. He said that the corporation had promised to accommodate 18,000 hawkers in the 20 galas constructed under the Senapati Bapat Marg flyover at Dadar, but instead gave away the galas for zunkha bhakar stalls. Additional municipal commissioner V Ramani said that there were some differences between the union and the administration regarding the hawking zones, but added that they were minor and will be sorted out. He said that TIFR and TISS have been asked to carry out surveys in this regard.

He also informed that the corporation was considering if it was possible to create some more hawking zones in the suburbs as there is a lot of free space. Those who cannot be accommodated in the city will be shifted to the suburbs, he said.