BMC plans to finish marking hawking pitches across Mumbai by year end

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to complete the process of marking out hawking pitches in the city by end of this year. So by the beginning of the next, licensed hawkers in the city will likely get a legitimate place to ply.

Hawking pitches in two zones, Zone V and Zone VII, have been finalised, while those for the remaining five zones are under process.

Vijay Balamvar, deputy municipal commissioner (election), who is in charge of the hawking pitches, said that the authorities were expecting to complete hawking pitches and get approval from zonal town vending committee (TVC) as well as the main TVC by end of this year or beginning of the next.

"We are in the process of starting hawking pitches in the New Year," said Balamvar.

The All India Unorganised Workers Congress had earlier approached the court with the plea that it was wrong to penalise hawkers if hawking pitches were not decided yet.

Janardan Singh, president of the workers' body, said that the civic body alone cannot decided number of hawkers and hawking pitches, and that "suggestions will go from seven TVCs and the decision will be taken by the main TVC."

But BMC officials said a TVC has been formed for administrative convenience, to verify eligibility of hawkers.

According to a new law, the Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending Act, the local body has to form TVCs as per a government directive. As per the rule, the TVC must survey vendors, issue them vending certificates and decided their relocation.