Hawking only allowed in designated zones: Bombay High Court

Mumbai, November 1: The petition of the hawkers regarding hawking could be carried out anywhere in the city is rejected by the Bombay High Court on Monday. The hawking zones have been allotted to the hawkers in the city, so they cannot set up their stalls in non-hawking zones or near religious places, educational institutions, railway stations and on foot over bridges said the division bench of Justice Bhushan Gavai and Justice Makrand Karnik.

 

To manage to hawk, special rules under the hawking law should be framed, said the court. This decision is a major boost for the BMC. The municipal corporation has already carried the hawker eviction drives.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has said that from vending illegally or violating the rules, the law does not prevent hawkers in the city. According to BMC, there are around 99,000 registered hawkers in the city but the petitioners stated that there were over 2.5 lakh vendors until May 2014.

Earlier, The High Court was approached by the Sanjay Nirupam and the hawkers association against illegal eviction drive. And also a rally of around 150 hawkers was conducted three days.