War between BMC and Hawkers Hots Up!!
Hawkers Threaten Hunger Strike
■ Home Times Network
On the one hand, while BMC has still not allotted the pitches to hawkers, on the other hand BMC is creating hurdles in allotment of shops to legal hawkers in the civic-run Jalaram Bappa Market despite the hawkers having received their allotment letters!
According to the victimised hawkers, the BMC administration is dilly-dallying in handing over the shop keys to 16 legal hawkers who were allotted shops in the BMC-constructed Jalaram Bappa Market in 2013. As a result, the aggrieved hawkers have announced to go on a hunger strike unless they get the keys to their shops.
It may be noted that BMC had constructed Jalaram Bappa Market on SevaramLalwani Road and RRT Road in 2013 to solve the hawkers’ menace on roads and accommodate them in a legalised civic building. In this market, 151 hawkers were thus allotted small shops on rent to do legitimate business. Among them, 16 hawkers were provided allotment letters, but till now these hawkers have not been given the keys to their shops to conduct business.
The victimized hawkers claim that they were offered allotment letters in 2013, but since then T-Ward officials are creating obstacles and not handing the keys to their shops. An angry hawker told Home Times, “We are fighting for our legalised shops since 2014, but the BMC officials are creating problems. Hence, we had even lodged a complaint against the corrupt T-Ward officials. We had even lodged a complaint against the committee formed for the welfare of hawkers at the police station. Ever since the police complaints, the BMC officials have become more adamant.”
Hawkers protest against BMC T-Ward
The 16 hawkers who have been denied the keys of their legal shops in the civic-run Jalaram Bappa Market despite the hawkers’ having allotment letters have turned aggressive. After battling for five years to get the keys to their shops, the hawkers have lost patience and have now decided to go on a hunger strike. The hawkers claim that, despite allotment letters of the shops, BMC is not giving them legalised shops to do business, hence they are forced to do business on roads. A hawker told Home Times, “We have not only been provided allotment letters, but we have also paid the rent of our shops in 2013. But still, the civic administration is not handing us the keys to start our business. Due to this, we are facing a severe economic loss.”
The affected hawkers are thus demanding the compensation for the economic loss that they have been undergoing since 2013 and the immediate handing-over of the keys to the shops. In addition, the hawkers are also demanding a refund of the rent that they have paid earlier.
Rakesh Shetty, social activist :
“As per the law, all the hawkers allotted the allotment letters must be legally given keys to start their business. However, still, the civic administration has shown indifference to 16 hawkers and denied keys to them. This is unjust. It is wrong to harass the hawkers just because the hawkers exposed some corrupt civic officials and lodged police complaint against a committee formed for the welfare of hawkers. I urge that the victimised hawkers must be handed their shops’ keys at the earliest or else we would be forced to turn aggressive and launch a hunger strike. However, BMC officials revealed that the hawkers will soon get their documents and the pending rent issue will be looked into and proper decision will be taken.
