quot;Hawkishquot; BMC pulls out all stops

The operation, headed at the ward level by the Senior Inspector of Licence, involves between three to eight encroachment vans, each equipped with six labourers, six mukadams and six lorryinspectors. Implemented with the help of the local police, it is overseen by the respective ward officer.

The mayor also held a meeting recently with the Minister of State for Home, Gajanan Kirtikar and Joint Commissioner of Police Law and Order Dr P S Pasricha, where it was decided to approach the particular police station for staff when required. A wireless police van will also be dispatched to the stations. Deputy Mayor Gopal Shetty said the state government has promised the BMC a special batch of 150 policemen for demolitions, 50 of which are being deployed in the present drive. He added that the civic licence and vigilance department would ensure that hawkers did not set up shop all over again. Added A N Dube, DMC Zone II, who was in charge of licence department till very recently: 8220;Each ward officer has been told that they can hire any number of lorries and labourers on contract to keep hawkers from returning.8221;

According to C B Rokde, Deputy Municipal Commissioner in charge of the drive, allhawkers outside Ghatkopar and Mulund stations have been removed. At Mulund, many have even been relocated beyond the 250 meter mark. 8220;The relocation work will be done gradually. The first preference will be given to licenced hawkers,8221; he said.

And by June 10, the drive will be extended to the remaining stations, added Rokde. Rajesh Sharma, member of Mayor-in-Council in charge of licences, also said copies of the hawking and non-kawking zone plans for all 23 wards will be available at the Superintendent of Licence department at the Palton Road office for hawkers to study. 8220;Any objections can be submitted by June 12. The next three days will be kept for discussing any changes, following which the plans will be finalised and implemented gradually,8221; he added. A special case has been made of Dadar, where the problem is considered 8220;acute8221;.However, Rokde admitted that the drive8217;s success rate depended on timely police assistance. 8220;It is noticed that when the police are no longer around, the hawkers flockback,8221; he claimed. He also said the time taken to cleanse8217; the ten stations depended on the coordination between the police and ward offices. 8220;At Borivli, Jogeshwari and Andheri, for instance, we have not received police help yet,8221; he said. 8220;We are also short of staff,8221; he added.

Predictably, the hawkers have not taken kindly to the civic onslaught on their livelehood. Said Bombay Hawkers8217; Union leader Sharad Rao: 8220;Hawkers have been removed by mayors in the past. The Mayor finishes his term and goes, but the hawkers return.8221; Sanjay Patil, whose clothes stall at CST was one of the first to go, continues to hang around the area. 8220;Most of us have been here for over 15 years, like Shankar Patel 65, who was removed from Gate number 1 at CST, but continues to sell bags near the GPO. 8220;Prior to January, we used to survive by paying anything upto Rs 50 per day to various policemen and BMC employees,8221; he candidly admitted.

Hawkers also pointed out that by excluding Dadar station in the drive8217;s firstphase, the BMC has shown its bias towards the Chief Minister8217;s constituency. Nearly 4,000 unauthorised hawkers sell their wares outside Dadar station daily. Over three lakh hawkers owing allegiance to various unions have decided to stage a massive morcha on June eight from Azad Maidan to Raj Bhavan, informed Rao.