Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam met BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta regarding hawkers issue in Mumbai on Tuesday. Photo by BL SONI Mumbai: Mumbai’s Congress party president Sanjay Nirupam on Tuesday met Brihanmumbai municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta and demanded that he enforce the national hawkers policy 2014 immediately and also asked Mehta to take back the new government resolution (GR), which enforces big housing societies to manage their own waste if production is over 100 kilogram and above.
Nirupam slammed the municipal body for its failure to implement the Centre’s hawkers’ policy, which gives livelihood rights to the hawkers. He alleged, “It’s been more than three years yet the BMC has not implemented the policy. Also, it’s unfair as without implementing the law the BMC is taking action against poor hawkers, as its only after the law is implemented that we can term them as legal and illegal.”
Also Read: Mumbai: BMC and Railways join hands to remove hawkers
In addition, he alleged that a political party like Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are being encouraged as only cases have been registered but no arrest or action has been taken and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the home minister is giving backdoor support to the party. Meanwhile, the Congress would soon start a drive against the problems faced by housing societies, regarding waste segregation due to the new GR implemented by the BMC.
Nirupam stated, “As per the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act of 1880 1888 the responsibility of waste disposal is of the BMC alone. Apart from that he claimed that if societies fail to dispose their waste, it would be thrown out on the road, which would create a nuisance and health problems in the city.”
Also, the GR enforces only big housing societies, which generate 100 kg and more of garbage to dispose of their waste. Therefore, the possibility is that they wuld give bribes to the BMC and a floodgate of corruption would open up, Nirupam remarked.
