Mumbai: BMC's new hawkers' policy gives women, elderly hawkers separate zones

Women and elderly hawkers will get their own pitches, or streets, to sell their wares, under the new hawkers' policy. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is in the process of implementing the policy, calling for suggestions and objections from citizens yesterday on the pitches dedicated for hawking across the city.

During the survey of hawkers in 2014, the BMC had received 99,435 applications. File Pic

Dedicated spaces
According to civic officials, exclusive pitches will be allotted to women and senior citizen hawkers in all 24 wards. The move is aimed at empowering women and weaker sections of the society. Speaking to mid-day, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Nidhi Choudhary said, "In hawking, women have limited options, namely selling vegetables, flowers or fish. We want to give them separate space in hawking zones with the hope that more of them take it up. Why can't women sell mobile phones, clothes or any other items, like men do? We want to increase their participation.

"Senior citizens find it difficult to compete with young hawkers. Hence, we thought of giving them separate space too. We will make sure that no ward has dedicated pitches for both women and senior citizens - if one ward has for women, the elderly will be given in another ward." The civic body had also announced one hawking zone for the disabled in every ward recently. An official from the licence department said, "As per the national hawkers policy act, there will be separate zones for cobblers too."

Write in to BMC
The areas will be finalised after the formation of the zonal Town Vending Committee; the BMC is supposed to create seven such committees across the city.t has also invited applications from NGOs, residents' associations, traders' associations and market associations for forming zonal TVCs. They will have to send their applications to the zonal deputy municipal commissioner's office by December 19.

The civic body yesterday published the list of 22,097 hawkers' pitches on its website. An official said, "We have given 15 days to citizens to send their suggestions and objections." Following last time's resistance from citizens and activists over many hawkers' zones in their areas, BMC had been forced to remove several from the list.

22,097 Number of pitches in BMC's new list

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, current affairs from Mumbai, local news, crime news and breaking headlines here

Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go