Now Reading: Corporators across parties question BMC hawker crackdown
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Corporators across parties question BMC hawker crackdown
Corporators from BJP, Shiv Sena and Congress have criticised the BMC's ongoing action against hawkers, calling it arbitrary and poorly executed at ward level. They broadly support the Pedestrian First initiative but…
The Story in Brief
Corporators from BJP, Shiv Sena and Congress have criticised the BMC's ongoing action against hawkers, calling it arbitrary and poorly executed at ward level. They broadly support the Pedestrian First initiative but say enforcement is unfair, especially against hawkers who were issued QR-coded identity cards by the civic body.
BJP corporator Sheetal Gambir said hawkers should be asked to reduce encroachment instead of being repeatedly fined. UBT Shiv Sena's Deepmala Bhade and Congress's Tulip Miranda questioned the point of QR cards if they offer no protection. BMC additional municipal commissioner Prajakta Lavangare Verma defended the drive, saying it targets only unauthorised hawkers uniformly, and a dashboard has been created to monitor ward-level enforcement.
The Indian Opinion
The usual narrative pits pedestrian safety against hawker livelihoods, but the real failure here is execution. BMC issued QR cards and then penalises the same hawkers, that is not a system, it is a trap. Corporators from all parties agree on the goal but point to broken ward-level machinery, from missing JCB machines to expired contracts. The test will be whether the new dashboard actually brings accountability or just adds another layer of paperwork.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
