The market department, which is conducting the survey, aims to figure out the total number of licensed and unlicensed fisherwomen operating in and around city markets on a daily basis.
With an eye to the upcoming civic elections, the BJP-led government is trying to woo the Koliwada vote bank by asking the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to make a new licence policy for fisherwomen in the city.
The BJP is clearly making an attempt at tapping the Koli community votes, which used to swing between the Shiv Sena and the Congress thus far, as the party has set a 114-seat target for itself. And, to achieve this goal, what can be a better bait than a licence to sell fish in BMC markets?
After a meeting with the representatives of Koli sanghtanas on Monday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis instructed the civic body to develop a new policy for granting fresh licences to fisherwomen across Mumbai. As a follow-up, the civic body has started a city-wide survey of markets, Koliwadas and gaothans.
The market department, which is conducting the survey, aims to figure out the total number of licensed and unlicensed fisherwomen operating in and around city markets on a daily basis.
According to information, at the Monday meeting, Fadnavis heard various issues facing fisherwomen in and around Mumbai. The meeting, which took place at the state secretariat, saw municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta, BJP legislator Manisha Chaudhar and representatives of various Koli sanghatanas and gaothans raising long-pending issues.
"Licences give fisherwomen the right to sell their catch in BMC markets. However, there are many fisherwomen doing business without licence and, therefore, they are subjected to action by the civic body," said Chaudhari.
She claimed that there were over 5,000 fisherwomen across Mumbai, who were selling their catch without licence. Chaudhari, who had raised this issue in the assembly session as well, stated that the issue of licence was crucial for the community but since existing markets in the city didn't have enough space to accommodate new fisherwomen, no new licence was being issued.
"There is no place for them to sit in the markets today. They are forced to sell their catch outside the markets. This puts them on BMC radar and these women are routinely evicted," Chaudhari said, adding that of the 61 civic-run markets and 40-plus private markets in the city, there were only around 3,500 fisherwomen with valid licences.
Thus, on the instruction of the CM, the department has now swung into action and started surveying all markets, Koliwadas and gaothans to collate information on the number of fisherwomen to be issued licences in the next two months.
According to market committee chairman Yamini Jadhav, the survey was started two days ago after the directives from Fadnavis came. "Officials are already doing the survey to determine how many women operate from markets with licences and without licences, and how many do their business outside markets, gaothans and Koliwadas," she explained.
The survey is expected to take a month's time, after which, the report will be compiled to formulate the new policy.
Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti (MMKS) president Damodar Tandel said, "This issue of licences was known to the earlier state government as well as the civic body. However, not much progress was made in the past years. Now, hopes are high as the Fadnavis government seems to be determined to solve the problem."
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