Mumbai: Linking Road reopens, but stall owners remain wary. Here's why

Workers and owners protest at Bandra yesterday PICSNIMESH DAVEThe sun blazed down on Linking Road Bandra West yesterday but stall owners and workers were feeling the heat in more ways than one For the last 17 days the street that offers affordable retail therapy had been devoid of footfalls Owners of nearly 167 stalls are locked in a battle with the BMC over a proposal to shift them from their current location on the pavement and place them a few feet ahead on the roadFaisal Qureishi and supporters point to the spot where they had proposed the stalls be shifted inside Patwardhan ParkLast afternoon owners having covered the shutters of their shops with posters drawing attention to their issue marched to the office of senior Congress leader and former MP Priya DuttPresident of Linking Road Stall Owners Welfare Association Faisal Qureishi speaking for the people said We are not against the beautification of the area as the BMC calls it We are willing to shift all we want from the civic authorities is a guarantee that we will not be uprooted again Why cant they give this to us in writingAlso Read Stall owners back on the streets but outside police chowkie in MumbaiStall owners meet former MP Priya DuttStall owners many of whom have been at the spot for 40 years now said they dont see how the shift will help the area Khan Mohamed Naushad and Kailash Yadav asked How would it decongest the area Once we are on the road somebody is sure to tell us to move because we are obstructing trafficBanners go up at Linking RoadCannot trust themIt is evident that there is a huge trust deficit with the stall owners demanding that the BMC give them NoObjection Certificates NOCs from the traffic department saying they wont be shunted out of thereWe do not want verbal assurances We want written guarantees The BMC has told us first you shift then we will see what happens but that does not work for us We want a green light from all concerned beforehand said YadavAssociation representatives said they gave a counterproposal to the BMC We proposed that the stalls move two feet behind their original place taking a sliver of the Patwardhan Park that stands behind That way just a small portion of the park will need to be realigned and the pavement will be free But authorities are unwilling to consider our proposalThe owners said they have been suffering huge losses since the fight started and shops closed We are dailywage earners Calculate the loss please There are 167 owners we have at least two staffers in every shop Then there are those who supply goods to us Imagine the families affected Some have not been able to pay their childrens school feesAllies jump inCiting their grievances and finding allies in Khar residents and activists Sumak Mistry and Aftab Siddique residents and owners stood before Dutt saying that the BMC first needs to take action on illegalities in malls like basements being given to stalls and stop harassing themDutt said The authorities need to talk to these owners You cannot treat people like cattle The decongestion excuse is rubbish If you are serious about decongesting the roads then stop more cars from coming into the city She added that the whole thing smacked of dictatorship rather than democracyEnd of storyA few hours later shop owners decided they are going to reopen their stalls which they had closed as a mark of protest and also prevent BMC actionLate last evening even as stalls went about their regular business with owners saying they have been assured of support by many it was a mix of happiness and trepidation They want a permanent solution to the fight not one where they are constantly looking over their shoulder for the BMC van and possible action