Bombay High Court clears 90 stalls at Bandra fair

The Bombay High Court on Friday gave the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) the go-ahead for the Bandra fair by allowing 90 stalls to be set up at a nearby BMC playground.

The BMC has given an undertaking that it would ensure that no unauthorised hawkers are allowed to have their stalls during the fair and restore the playground as it is soon after the fair.

Division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice RS Dalvi allowed the BMC to house the stalls on Rebello playground and restore it after the fair. It directed the BMC and the police to ensure that no unauthorised hawkers are allowed during the eight-day fair, beginning from September 11.

The directions were given during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by H-W ward citizens.

Advocate Pooja Thorat, representing the petitioners, argued: “The BMC cannot allow stalls to be erected on its playgrounds and it is not as per law. The BMC in the last two years had spent Rs75 lakh to restore Rebello playground. If the stalls are erected, it will again nullify the beautification.”

Earlier, Manik Kshirsagar, assistant municipal commissioner of H-West Ward filed an affidavit during the hearing of a notice of motion filed by candle stall owners against the BMC decision to auction the stalls.

It stated that the civic body has decided to allow 170 stalls on main Mount Mary Road. All stalls will be allotted through auction and half of them will be reserved for local residents, the affidavit said.