Hawkers keep coming back: BMC

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday expressed its helplessness in removing hawkers from in and around Crawford Market to the Bombay high court. The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) had moved the high court, seeking a court direction for the removal of illegal hawkers from the Crawford Market area. The FRTWA had sought permission from the BMC for beautification of the area, and had contended that the unauthorised hawkers - selling everything from hairpins, cutlery to CDs - were coming in the way of the beautification process.

The civic body’s advocate Sharmila Modle informed the court that an affidavit has been filed in reply to the FRTWA’s petition. Filed by BMC’s senior inspector Shashikant Sawant, the affidavit states that since January 2008, BMC inspectors have evicted illegal hawkers about 50-60 times. “However, as soon as they (BMC inspectors) turn from one place to another, the illegal hawkers again come back,” states the affidavit, adding that the inspectors are on the job from Monday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm.

Sawant even goes on to admit that removing these hawkers would not be possible without support from the police. “Police patrolling is necessary throughout the day,” said Sawant in the affidavit.

The affidavit states that there are only 32 licensed hawkers in the LT Marg area. According to Sawant, the FRTWA was directed to start the beautification process before the evicted hawkers could resurface but they are “not co-operating”.

After hearing all the contentions made in the affidavit, the bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice SC Dharmadhikari adjourned the case for four weeks.