The civic body conducts a hawkers' survey every five years and the last one was conducted in 2014.
While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to allot hawking pitches by the beginning of the new year, the next survey of hawkers in the city is due only in May 2019.
The civic body conducts a hawkers' survey every five years and the last one was conducted in 2014.
Notably, the hawkers surveyed in 2014 have not been allotted a place yet, although it is time for another survey.
Over 1.2 lakh hawkers were surveyed last time. Of the total 1.2 lakh surveyed, 99,435 were deemed fit to carry out their business legally. The civic body had identified 89,900 pitches in 1,100 zones to accommodate the 99,435 hawkers.
However, subsequent delays in formation of town vending committee (TVC) and other issues delayed the overall process. But, after the Elphinstone Road stampede that claimed 23 lives, the work picked up pace. Now, the final decision on hawking pitches in the city is at the last stage and is expected to be out by the beginning of the next year.
This has left the hawkers rather worried, since they did not get pitches in the past four and a half years, yet another survey is knocking on their door.
A senior civic official said conducting a fresh survey is a must as in the past few years, the number of hawkers might have increased. "The survey becomes a necessity to streamline hawkers in the city. This helps us ascertain the number of legal and illegal hawkers," said the official. He added that this will act as a boon for legal hawkers as their designated areas won't be encroached upon by the illegal ones.
Janardan Singh, President, All India Unorganised Workers Congress, said that carrying out a fresh survey depends upon the TVC. "The TVC can decide if a survey is required or not."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Hawkers")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}