Hawking policy: BMC gets residents' views

Mumbai: Citizens did their bit on Sunday to help the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) give the final touches to its hawking policy.Citispace, an NGO which has taken initiatives to have dedicated hawking zones set up in the city, convened a citizen’s meeting at Chheda Nagar. Residents of Chembur, Ghatkopar and Mulund participated in it.

They discussed issues, such as setting up hawking zones, segregating hawkers into stationary and itinerant categories, and the rules that should be governing both of them. The suggestions made and the objections raised by the citizens will have to be sent to the BMC by April 5, following which the civic body will finalise the hawking by-laws.

The residents were wary of the ‘temporary hawkers’ category proposed by the BMC in its draft policy. “This is a serious thing. We fear that it might turn the hawking policy into another SRA scheme. Temporary accommodations given are never time-bound, and end up becoming permanent,” Nayana Kathpaliya, co-convenor, Citispace, said.