No licence for hawkers without residence proof

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to start stringent drives against unauthorised hawkers after the Bombay High Court, on Thursday, stated that the civic body should insist on residence proof for the hawker registration process.

Licence to sell: BMC will initiate action against vendors who don't have a valid proof of residence. File Pic

BMC officials claim the court's verdict now gives them the go-ahead to take action against the illegal hawkers who don't posses valid residence proofs. The civic body and the hawkers' union have locked horns over the registration process after the BMC insisted on the documents for providing a licence.

Hawkers had opposed the request and a PIL was filed. "The High Court has specifically demanded that the residence proof is mandatory for the registration. The hawkers' union had been opposing the same. With the residence proof now mandatory, the registration process will be transparent and there should not be any problems. Strict action will be taken against unauthorised hawkers now, as they would have to register in a month's time," said Sharad Bande, licence superintendent, BMC.

On Tuesday, at a meeting of the town vending committee, which comprises civic officials, hawkers' representatives and resident unions, two important documents - the application form and procedure for the registration - were drafted. The BMC put forward the proposed drafts and other members of the committee would be coming back with suggestions and objections on the same after ten days.

The registration process is expected to start within a month's time, after which hawkers will be issued new permits.
From now on, all hawkers would have to collect a registration form that would be issued by the BMC, and only after submitting the form duly filled, will the hawkers be allowed to operate in the area.