Bandra Hill Road residents say BMC is turning a blind eye to illegal hawkers on footpaths

The ALM 74 of Bandra West wrote to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide two months ago, complaining that illegal hawkers had occupied the footpaths of Hill Road. Residents now allege that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is turning a blind eye to such activity.

H West ward Assistant Commissioner Dinesh Palewad visited the spot on August 19, and action against the illegal stalls followed. Residents allege, however, that the action lasted barely a few days. The hawkers put up temporary structures on the footpath again and resumed business without fear.

Civic officials said notices had been sent twice to the illegal hawkers. Notices were also issued to the owners of the properties on whose premises the stalls stand. Residents say the deadline for a reply expired on October 18, yet the BMC has received no response.

ALM 74 chairman Rohinton Polishwala was the one who wrote the first letter to the ward, informing it of the encroachment and other problems. He said: "We had great hopes from the initial action, but the hawkers whose stalls were removed came back and the civic officials did nothing further. When we got in touch, they said they were waiting for the Bandra Fair and Dussehra to end, but to this day there has been no visible action."

Polishwala added: "The deadline to reply to the notice expired on October 18. We just want a safe place to walk. Because of the encroachment on the footpath, people are walking on the road, and the hawkers right outside our homes keep harassing residents like me who have opposed them. How much longer will it take for a policy that gives priority to pedestrians to become reality?" Locals also said that such problems have improved considerably in other parts of Mumbai, but this is not happening on Hill Road.

Palewad shared a statement on Monday night. It said: "The senior inspector of the encroachment removal department of H West division took action against 57 unauthorised hawkers between August and September. The encroachment on the additional space given to licensed stall holders was also removed. In addition, notices were issued to seven buildings for allowing commercial use of open space. One of them has challenged the notice by approaching the City Civil Court. The ward has sent instructions to the Assistant Law Officer for further action in the matter."

A document from the H West ward said: "This office has written to the assessment department to begin penalty proceedings under Section 152A of the MMC Act against the buildings that were sent notices. Further, the Building and Factory department, the licence department and the maintenance department are jointly taking continuous action against businesses operating in the mandatory open spaces of various buildings on Hill Road."

Bandra resident Leslie John Merchant claimed he was harassed after photographing the hawkers. He said: "I went to Hill Road on October 8 because I had learnt that the Mayor was going to visit. I saw that many hawkers had moved into the lanes of Bazaar Road to stay out of sight during the Mayor's visit. While I was taking some pictures of them, a few hawkers argued with me and alleged that I was harassing them on someone's payment."

Merchant added: "They kept shouting at me and surrounded me. One of them even stuffed money into my pocket and said I was extorting money from them in return for not reporting them to the authorities. I was frightened, so I called the Bandra police. The police reached the spot and took two hawkers and me to the station. After I narrated the whole matter, I asked them to register an NCR [non-cognisable report] against these people, which has been done." He also claimed that he has sent a legal notice to the BMC and the police, demanding action against the hawkers.

A police officer said: "The NCR was registered on August 9 under Sections 352, 351(2), 115(2) and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Preventive action under Section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita has been initiated against the accused, Shakeel Ahmed Qureshi and his son Shahbaz. A bond of Rs 75,000 has been taken from both."