Resident accuses BMC of corruption as they fail to successfully implement the removal of hawkers

The roads of Bandra (East) remain crowded with hawkers dominating the area as the residents question the pedestrian-friendly nature of the streets and feel threatened with what they call as “the hawker menace”.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday took action against hawkers as it deployed police forces in heavy numbers and sent anti-encroachment vans to clear roads. However the hawkers returned as soon as the vans left the area. The BMC has also threatened shops vendors who support illegal hawkers of revoking their licenses and permissions if they continue to offer them support.

A BMC official stated, “A notice has already been issued to all the shops and residents, asking them to refrain from encouraging illegal hawkers. All necessary actions are being taken to keep the roads protected from hawker menace, with help from the police forces. We see no way why roads should continue to be crowded.”

When asked about the prevention methods BMC has taken to solve the issue, an official said that they are doing everything that they can to solve the problem. Anti-encroachment vans are deployed every day for surveillance and police personnel are also stationed nearby. However, it is extremely difficult to station these vans all day and as it is “extremely impractical.”

Chandan, a 28-year-old hawker, said that the constant raid from the BMC heavily affects their sales but they are still doing the right thing, “Kyuki illegal toh hai hi,” (It is illegal, anyway). He stated, “Even if we try to get our shops licensed, the process is made extremely difficult for us. We are made to run around to get permits and that is because the BMC officials are corrupt and earn way more from us when they charge fines from me and other hawkers. System mein hi gadbad hai, mere jaise chote dukaandaar se bhi ₹3000 har mahina le lete hai. (The system is bad, they charge ₹3000 per month even from a small vendor like me).”

A resident, commenting on the situation with licence and permit grants, stated, “Most of these hawkers are Bangladeshis or are immigrants that is why they do not get grants. How the BMC has not identified this issue yet or has preferred to avoid it is beyond me,” The officials and other residents or hawkers refused to comment on the same.

Nitika Awasthi, a resident, who commutes daily from the Bandra (E) railway station to her home in Bandra said, “The system has failed us. There were crores of currency spent on making this area pedestrian-friendly and I am not sure if that privilege is for hawkers or for us - the real pedestrians,” Another resident commented that the BMC won’t do anything about it, the only reason behind it is corruption. The officials earn in “heavy numbers from hawkers, they will not give up that source of income. Any action undertaken by them is only a facade.”