MNS party chief called a meeting of top corporators in BMC to push for demand that only vendors with domicile certificates of Maharashtra should be allowed to hawk on Mumbai streets
Locals who were intending to hawk their wares but were facing a problem in getting hawking licenses can now rejoice. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray is now urging his corporators to make sure that only those with domicile certificates of Maharashtra can hawk on Mumbai streets.
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He called a meeting of top corporators in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and discussed the ongoing hawkers’ issue with them. According to a corporator, Thackeray urged his team to see to it that, in the future, only locals got hawking licenses from the BMC.
Keeping with their agenda of giving priority to locals and Marathi manoos, this time, the party wants to have a major say in decisions regarding hawking in city. According to sources, the party’s representatives in the civic body had also asked Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vasant Dhoble to be brought to the BMC to handle the drive against illegal hawkers.
Keeping with their agenda of giving priority to locals and the Marathi manoos, MNS chief Raj Thackeray wants to have a major say in the decisions regarding hawking in the city. File pics
Earlier, Dhoble was embroiled in the controversy where a hawker in Santacruz (East) allegedly lost his life during a raid conducted by Dhoble. While corporators were mum over the details of the meeting, one corporator said that the topic of deciding the party’s stand on the hawking issue formed the main discussion. Following the recent controversy regarding illegal hawkers, the MNS had publicly opposed the show of strength of hawkers at Azad Maidan and had pushed for illegal hawkers to be removed from the city.
“We are going to press our demand regarding the domicile criteria to the civic body. The applicant should also submit a residential proof — like an electricity bill and also get a police verification certificate from the local police station,” said the corporator.
“The records that we have from some of the BMC offices are alarming. There are over 7,000 hawkers, and most of them are illegal, in Dadar (West). However, the BMC has only 34 officials to tackle them. Out of them, 18 are on contract. We are going to ask the BMC to set up a machinery where they can tackle the nuisance of hawkers and then go ahead with granting licences,” the corporator added.
The party members also cited the example of Dadar Phul Market. According to them, the BMC had asked hawkers to shift to the market as it was meant for them. However, later illegal hawkers came onto the streets and now are eating into the business of those who are hawking in legal zones. “We won’t let BMC pass any rule regarding hawkers if it doesn’t support the locals,” the corporator said. Mohan Adtani, additional municipal commissioner, was unavailable for comment.
Hawking: Only for locals
Must have a domicile certificate of the state
Submit a residential proof like an electricity bill while applying
Get a police verification certificate u00a0
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