Eligible hawkers to be allotted temporary pitches as interim measure: Min

Mumbai: Following directions from Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant on Friday announced in the Legislative Assembly that all hawkers eligible in the 2014 hawkers survey will be allotted temporary hawking pitches. Samant said 32,415 hawkers were deemed eligible as per the 2014 survey, and the state govt will give directions to the BMC to allot them temporary pitches till a formal Town Vending Committee (TVC) mechanism is set up following High Court decision. Samant said the issue is currently under litigation and the temporary pitches will be allotted as an interim measure. Samant was replying to a calling attention motion moved by MLA Rais Shaikh.
During the survey of hawkers in 2014, 1,28,443 applications were distributed, and 99,435 applications were submitted to the BMC, said Samant. "Of them, 22,055 applicants and 10,360 licensees — a total of 32,415 — were eligible as voters. As per the provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihoods and Regulation of Street Vendors) Rules, 2016, and the prescribed guidelines, BMC completed the election process in Aug 2024, for the election of TVCs. However, a petition was filed before the SC by Janwadi Hawkers Sabha Association and others regarding the eligibility criteria for hawkers. Due to the order given by SC in August 2024, the counting of votes could not be done even after completion of the election process. Alternatively, TVCs could not be formed. The petition was later transferred by the SC to the HC. The hearings were completed and the final hearing was held on Feb 11, 2026. The decision of the HC is pending," Samant said in his reply.Shaikh, however said that the law mandates formation of TVCs, after which a survey must be conducted and pitches allotted to eligible hawkers. "All the rules are already in place. Those who were included in the survey should get justice. I am talking about regulated hawking, not unregulated hawking. Govt must complete the process within a month, create hawking zones and allot pitches to eligible vendors identified in the survey," he added. Congress MLA Amin Patel said keeping hawkers deemed eligible in 2014, waiting for over 10 years was sheer injustice and the state govt was responsible for the loss of their livelihoods. BJP MLA Ameet Satam said that in case any temporary pitches are allotted, they must not be in residential areas and demanded that local elected representatives and citizen groups or residents associations must be consulted before any allotment is done.