BMC rapped on the knuckles for hawker problem

The Bombay high court on Thursday rapped the BMC for its inability to tackle the problem of illegal hawkers in the city and directed them to take preventive action.

A division bench of justices PB Majmudar and Amjad Sayed asked the corporation to send its staff to Gujarat and New Delhi to learn how they have dealt with the menace. It said, “Earlier even Baroda faced similar problem, but they tackled it by putting up temporary bollards on streets to prevent encroachments. Ask your people (staff) to go to other states and find out what they have done to prevent illegal hawkers.”

The court was hearing a petition filed by the Vile Parle Kelawani Mandal (VPKM). The petition seeks that the corporation should be directed to take action against illegal hawkers outside their institutions as it has been declared as “non-hawking zone” and it also causes nuisance.

Komal Punjabi, advocate for the corporation, informed the court that the BMC has been regularly taking action against the hawkers, but they tend to return. “Since May 2010, we have carried out action 30 times and nine persons have been booked. The BMC has deployed a van along with its staff to patrol the Juhu area everyday,” said Punjabi.

Counsels for the VPKM, VA Thorat and Jamshed Mistry said hawkers are found near schools and colleges and children buy paan-beedi. The bench, noting that action was not being taken, remarked: “We will send all of them (hawkers) to the bungalows of your commissioner and mayor. They can sit there.”