Quack crackdown

MUMBAI, Aug 28: After trying to cleanse the streets of hawkers, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC has now trained its guns on ...

MUMBAI, Aug 28: After trying to cleanse the streets of hawkers, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC has now trained its guns on quacks. Since the last two days, civic officials have cracked down on 12 quacks found hawking their medicinal8217; wares without proper licenses.

The BMC issued a circular to all ward officers last week to take action against the quacks in their respective wards. This includes demolishing the tents in which the quacks run their business and stock ayurvedic herbs and confiscating their goods. But unlike the hawkers, the quacks can get their goods back on paying a penalty of Rs 5,000.

Although the decision to crack down on the quacks was taken last week, the administration got moving only on Thursday due to the Ganpati festival. A sudden boom in the number of quacks hawking their solutions to medical ills in the city as well as the suburbs prompted the BMC to make this move, said municipal officials, adding that there are about 200 in Mumbai.

The Prevention of Magical Remedies Act8217;, an old piece of legislation, empowers the BMC as well as the police to initiate action against such quacks. But very few have been punished under this act in the past, and this is the first time that the BMC is initiating action against the quacks seriously.

Explaining the timing of the crackdown, deputy municipal commissioner in charge of demolitions, Chandrasekhar Rokde, informed that the quacks flourish during the monsoon and give dubious drugs to patients which do them more harm than good. 8220;They are a nuisance to the public as they construct their tents on footpaths, obstructing traffic,8221; said Rokde.

None of the quacks whose businesses were stopped had practising licenses, he added, which is a must for andoctors to administer medicines to the public. 8220;Also, the herbs they were using have not been tested,8221; he informed.

8220;We are going to treat the quacks like seasonal hawkers and seek support from the police in taking action against them,8221; said Rokde. Though the ward office initiates action against the quacks, the matter is also reported to the local police station. However, civic officials admitted that action against the quacks would not take the problem away. 8220;The ward office will have to ensure that they do not come back,8221; they told Express Newsline.