(Mukesh Seth)
(Mumbai)
Maharashtra Janata Hawkers Union (MJHU) delegation presented a memorandum to Smt Madhuri Misal, Minister of Urban Development to press for implementation of Vendor Act 2014 enacted by the Union Government. The Unions Founder President, Shri Surendrakumar Bajpai said that the union presented a memorandum of demands to the Minister of Urban Development wherein it was requested that the Government of Maharashtra implement the Vendor Act, 2014 in letter and spirit. Shri Bajpai said that Smt Madhuri Misal assured the union that the government will give a sympathetic view on their demands. Other important MJHU functionaries present in the meeting were Advisors Suhas Bane & Nilesh Kantaria; Vice Presidents Jitendra Singh & Nikhil Harpude; General Secretary B R Salvi; Treasurer Suresh Gupta & Secretaries Akbar Sheikh, Vinod More & Amit Velukar Patil.
The memorandum brought the attention of the Maharashtra Government to Sec 3(2) of the Act which said that “The town vending committee shall ensure that all existing street vendors identified in the survey are accommodated in the vending zone subject to a norm conforming to two and half percent of the population of the ward or zone or town or city, as the case may be in accordance with the plan for street vending and the holding capacity of the vending zone. Effectively the act clearly defines the number of hawkers that can vend in a city, the maximum limit being 2.5% of the population of the city. In Mumbai with regards to the population maximum number of 3.75 Lakhs hawkers fall in the category of eligible hawkers. As per the statement made in assembly by Smt Madhuri Misal BMC had carried the survey of hawkers in 2014. A total of 99,435 applications of hawkers was received in Mumbai out of which only 32,415 hawkers were held eligible. Shri Bajpai questioned that if the total number of eligible hawkers in Mumbai can be 3.75 Lakhs considering sec 3(2) of the act then why only 32,415 hawkers were held eligible and others ineligible. Also Shri Bajpai said that as per the survey of the Union there are more than 4 Lakhs hawkers in Mumbai. In neighboring Thane, the TMC has held only 1398 hawkers eligible though as per the act and considering the population of Thane the eligible hawkers can be 3 Lakhs.
Meanwhile the union has appointed a team of advocates to put forth the eligibility issue of ineligible hawkers before the Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporations. The hawkers of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai that have not made to the list of eligible hawkers by the Corporation may contact urgently the Union Office at Maharashtra Janata Dal (Secular) office, Churchgate with documents to prove their hawking credentials।
