Most of the stalls were either sublets or were being used for purposes other than they were meant for
Finally the State government has decided to implement its resolution of scrapping the Zunka Bhakar Kendra (ZBK) scheme, brought in by the Shiv Sena-BJP government with much fanfare. The scheme had envisaged addressing the state’s socio-economic problem by allotting 6311 stalls to the ‘unemployed’ throughout the state. The cabinet decision, however, will lead to the acquisition of 801 such centres that run business and includes 142 stalls in city and 109 in suburbs.
The subsidised stalls in the scheme, the brainchild of Sena-led government which started it on May 1, 1995, are mostly owned by the Shiv Sainiks. Followed by the government decision of scrapping the scheme in June 2000, some of the stalls were acquired by the respective authorities at the district level. The stall owners then moved Bombay High Court, which withheld the government decision, and so did the Supreme Court last year.
The stalls had invited a plethora of complaints right from the beginning, as they failed to provide the zunka bhakar at the stipulated Re1 - the price announced by Shiv Sena. Most of the stalls were either sublets or were being used for purposes other than they were meant for. The Democratic Front government, immediately after coming to power stopped the grants, in April 1999. Followed by the decision, many other stall-holders withdrew their businesses and began letting them out on contract.
“The responsibility of the acquisition of the plots lies with the authorities to whom they belong, namely the State government, the BMC, the MMRDA, the municipal councils and other government bodies,” said Food and Civil Supply Minister Sunil Tatkare. “After taking the decision in 2000, we could not proceed with the implementation due to litigations and representations made in the State Legislature,” he added.
Tatkare also said that only the concerned authorities will decide about the future of the plots, as the government does not have any substitute scheme to replace ZBK scheme.
State Council chairman S Deshmukh had ordered the State government to maintain a status quo till a cabinet decision, after some of the Shiv Sena MLCs raised the issue in the House during the recently-ended budget session. The MLC had pleaded that the stalls are being run by unemployed people and they will left without their daily earning had the decision implemented.
Stating the government move as “most disgusting and anti-poor decision by the DF government”, Shiv Sena MLC Arvind Sawant said, “They not only have snatched the subsidised food of the poor, but also left the unemployed and poor stall holders hapless. I will appeal a reconsideration of the decision.”
