A vada pav is a vada Pav: BMC chief

Reacting to Sena parliamentarian Sanjay Raut's veiled threat to protect Shiv Vada Pav stalls in 'Sena style', BMC chief Subodh Kumar says no special treatment will be given to the illegal ones

A vada pav is a vada Pav: BMC chief

Reacting to Sena parliamentarian Sanjay Raut's veiled threat to protect Shiv Vada Pav stalls in 'Sena style', BMC chief Subodh Kumar says no special treatment will be given to the illegal ones

"A VADA pav is a vada pav," is how Municipal Commissioner Subodh Kumar has chosen to react to Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's visit to the BMC headquarters to register his protest against action being taken against Shiv Vada Pav stalls as part of the civic body's drive against illegal hawkers in the city.

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Subodh Kumar and Sanjay Raut

Speaking to MiD DAY yesterday, the civic chief said that no special treatment would be meted out to the illegal stalls that enjoy the Sena's patronage. "There are no separate figures on how many Shiv Vada Pav stalls were removed.

A vada pav is a vada pav and the Shiv Vada Pav is no different. Action will be taken against all the illegal ones," said Kumar.

Raut's visit
Raut had visited the BMC headquarters on June 13 to request officials to desist from targeting Shiv Vada Pav stalls as part of the drive. He had also issued a veiled threat by saying that Sainiks would protect the stalls in "Shiv Sena style".

"There are over 100 illegal Shiv Vada Pav stalls in the city, which have still not received permission to do business, and over 20 of these were shut down during the drive," said a BMC official, on condition of anonymity.

The official added that the civic body is working on setting up 60 Shiv Vada Pav stalls in municipal markets.

"Since the hawker policy has not been drafted yet, the Sena's original plan of having 125 stalls has taken a hit," he said.

The civic body's Standing Committee Chairperson and Sena Corporator Rahul Shewale said, "We have
been promised that the setting up of 60 stalls at the ward level will be sped up. A committee was formed to study the locations and they have finalised 60 as of now."

Number game
The civic body has evicted 41,226 illegal hawkers so far and collected a fine of Rs 1 crore from them. In the month of June, 43 chinese stalls, 246 vada pav stalls and 43 other stalls, which include illegal juice stalls, were made to shut shop by the BMC.