Registration drive: BMC demands domicile certificates, hawkers cry foul

Following the primary verification of applications received from hawkers in May this year, BMC found only 23,265 out of total 99,435 applicants eligible. (Representational Image)

The deadlock in resolving issues pertaining to hawkers seems to have intensified further, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demanding domicile certificate from the applicants to prove their eligibility. The issue has delayed the process of allotting pitches (hawking area) and issuing licences to eligible hawkers.

Following the primary verification of applications received from hawkers in May this year, the civic body found only 23,265 out of total 99,435 applicants eligible.

The eligible applicants will now face the final round of scrutiny following which they will be officially registered as licensed hawkers with the civic body.

Following a registration drive in 2014, the civic body had received 99,435 applications for 85,891 pitches notified across the city by the BMC. The Town Vending Committee formed by the BMC has completed primary verification of 96,655 applications of the total 99,435. Of those, the committee found only 23,265 applications eligible while remaining applications lacked documents proving their eligibility. The committee is currently verifying the documents of remaining 2,780 applicants.

“Thousands of hawkers are affected due to the criteria of submitting domicile. Many who fail to submit it will resort of illegal hawking. BMC officials need to look into the matter,” said Dayashankar Singh, president of Azad hawkers union.

BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta had asked the remaining applicants to submit supporting documents proving their eligibility. “Initially, these applicants were given a month’s time for submitting supporting documents. However, later the same was extended. Those who fail to submit the documents like domicile certificate will not be registered with the civic body and hence will not be allotted hawking pitch,” said a senior BMC official.

“The process of scrutinising the actual number of hawkers will be done only after the final scrutiny of applications is completed. The seven town vending committees have verified the documents submitted by 96,655 applicants while the process for remaining 2,780 is going on. Following this, we will issue them certificates and biometric ID cards. We are expecting the number of hawkers to drop when biometric cards are issued,” the official added.

Nidhi Choudhary, deputy municipal commissioner (special), said, “We will be sending notices to these applicants to submit valid documents for verification. They have to submit these documents within one month from receiving the letter. If failed to do so, they will not be issued licence.”

The survey was initiated in 2014 after the Supreme Court on September 9, 2013, passed an order asking for implementation of the national hawkers’ policy, 2009, and the Street Vendors’ (protection of livelihood and regulation of street vending) Act, 2014. To implement the policy, the BMC began a hawker registration drive. It carried out a survey of vendors till July 24. The BMC had distributed total 1.20 lakh forms for registration, however, it received total 99,435 applications.