Mumbai: BMC to strip licences of shops encouraging illegal hawkers

As hawkers continue to thrive across the city despite BMC raids, local ward officials, police and citizen groups will experiment with a new idea in Bandra - take action against shops and private premises that patronise the street vendors and give them space to keep their wares during raids. Sources said the BMC might even cancel the licences of shops that add to the hawker menace. In a meeting with ALM members and police on Tuesday, H-West ward officials assured of action against erring shopkeepers.

In a meeting with members of the advanced locality management and police officers, officials from H west ward, which has jurisdiction over Bandra west, assured on Tuesday of action against erring shopkeepers and private properties that help hawkers. "Though the BMC takes action against hawkers, most of the time, they are tipped beforehand and are back on roads after the civic squad returns," said a resident of Hill Road.

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Local MLA Ashish Shelar was also part of the meeting on Tuesday

Anandini Thakur, a trustee of H west ward citizens trust, said, "After repeated complaints and continuous follow-ups by residents' associations, a meeting was arranged on Tuesday at BMC's H west office to solve the issue of hawkers. Deputy Commissioner of Police Manjunath Singhe was also present at the meeting." She said hawkers occupy the footpaths and also deprive people of their right to way. "Hill Road, Turner Road, Linking Road, Carter Road, and Lands End have this issue," she said. Local MLA Ashish Shelar was also present at the meeting.

If the seafront in Bandra draws a large crowd, hawkers on its roads worsen the situation for local residents. "The hawker numbers have been increasing as they get support from shopkeepers. I pointed out a few shops and private premises that help hawkers. Authorities take action but the effect is temporary so we demanded a permanent solution," said Rohington Polishwala, a Hill Road resident.

Another resident, Gurmeet Singh Anand, said at the meeting, "The issue has been a burning one for years and if the authorities don't take action now, residents will come onto the roads." Civic officials said they had come up with a fresh idea to rid Bandra's road of hawkers. "We take regular action but residents need some permanent solution. So we decided to take strict action against shopkeepers and cancel their licences if they are seen helping hawkers. Residents also complained about private and society premises allowing hawkers to keep their stock and sell from their properties. We will also initiate legal action against them," said Vinayak Vispute, assistant commissioner of H west. "Apart from surprise visits, we will also take action after 6 pm and clear the roads for traffic."

Bandra's Hill Road is packed with hawkers most of the time. Pic/Atul Kamble

A shopkeeper from Hill Road who spoke off the record said some shops help hawkers and it creates friction between them and residents. "There aren't any hawkers in front of my shop but sometimes we are also helpless and cannot ask the hawkers to vacate the spot," he said.

Viren Shah, president of the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association, said, "Irrespective of any shop helping hawkers in whatever way, the BMC should take strong action against illegal hawkers. They cannot be allowed by shopkeepers or any local elected member and if a few shopkeepers are helping them then the BMC can take action against them. The hawker menace not only creates inconvenience to pedestrians but also becomes a nuisance to shops. Both the police and BMC must ensure that footpaths are strictly kept for pedestrians."