Mumbai's famous shopping destination, the Linking Road in Bandra is shut since last week as the stall owners are on strike till their complaint against the Assistant Municipal Commissioner of H-west ward is registered by Khar police.
The 157 stall owners on Thursday also protested in front National College in Bandra with a signature campaign against BMC's act of demolition of licenced stalls. The stall owners allege that their stalls are demolished for a Rs 83 crore beautification project of Raosaheb Patwardhan garden alongside Linking road which is proposed by BJP MLA Ashish Shelar.
The protestors told DNA that BMC has been harassing them by demolishing their stalls which have got licence for hawking. Every year the Municipal Corporation has been renewing their licence, but this year, it issued notice for demolition citing violations. "They tortured the stall owners by their high handedness during demolition last month. According to High Court order any stall cannot be demolished till state government forms a committee and make a hawking policy. If they want to relocate the stalls from the road, BMC should show the papers of approval for the beautification project which they do not have", said Aftab Siddhiqui, an activist who led the protest on Thursday.
However, H-west war officer Satish Ugade said, "The garden beautification project is not related to this demolition. The stalls on the Linking road have violated the HC's rules. They have to put their stalls in prescribed area. They extend the stalls, while many sell materials of which they have not got licence for. Inspite of several notices they are not abiding rules, thus after giving notices, we demolished the pitched which were extended. Many stall owners have sold or rented their stall which is against HC's order".
"For the garden beautification project, we have received principal approval while further approval are awaited. The project will take its own time and the protesters are unnecessarily connecting the issues", Ugade added. Preeti Menon from Aam Aadmi Party is also supporting the strike. Menon said "According to HC's order no stall can be demolished till state's new hawking policy is framed. The ward officer violated the court's order by demolishing stalls. All 157 stalls on Linking road have licence which the Municipal Corporation has renewed atleast 15 times till December 2016. While this time they refused to renew the licence stating that the stalls are made up of metal instead of wood. How come this year they objected to this, and never before. They just want to go ahead with the Rs 83 crore Patwardhan garden beautification project".
"The ward officer has misused his position. If the stalls owners are violating any norms, they should be fined or their materials can be confiscated. But, demolition of the stalls is violation of the court's order and the ward officer should be booked under IPC 166 and 167 for misusing his position", Menon added. When DNA spoke with Ashish Shelar on the issue, he said, "The beautification of the garden is BMC's project. The hawkers should be protected by law. It's under BMC and the ward officer will decide course of action". The 157 stalls of Linking Road are shut since 31 January.
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