The excessive courtroom final 12 months took suo motu cognizance of the problem of unlawful hawkers within the metropolis. (File)
Mumbai:
The Bombay Excessive Court docket on Monday stated when streets and footpaths are cleared for the prime minister and different VVIPs for in the future, why cannot or not it’s performed every day for everybody else too.
Having a transparent footpath and a secure place to stroll was each individual’s basic proper and the state authorities had been obligated to offer the identical, a division bench of Justices M S Sonak and Kamal Khata.
The state can not perpetually simply marvel what could be performed to work out the issue of unauthorised hawkers encroaching upon footpaths within the metropolis and has to now do one thing drastically, the bench stated.
The excessive courtroom final 12 months took suo motu (by itself) cognizance of the problem of unlawful and unauthorised hawkers and distributors within the metropolis.
On Monday, the bench stated whereas it is aware of the issue is massive, the state and different authorities, together with the civic physique, can not simply depart it at that and known as for some drastic motion.
“When the prime minister or some VVIPs come, the streets and footpaths are instantly cleared…and it stays so until they’re right here. How is it performed then? Why cannot or not it’s performed for everybody else? Residents are ratepayers…they should have a transparent footpath and secure place to stroll,” the courtroom stated.
“Footpath and a secure place to stroll is a basic proper. We inform our kids to stroll on footpaths but when there isn’t a footpath left to stroll on, what will we inform our kids?” the courtroom requested.
For years collectively, the authorities have been saying they’re engaged on the problem, it stated.
“The state has to do one thing drastically. It can’t be that the authorities are perpetually simply questioning what to do and dealing on it. There appears to be an absence of will, as a result of the place there’s a will there’s at all times a means,” the excessive courtroom stated.
Senior counsel SU Kamdar, showing for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Company (BMC), stated periodic motion is taken towards such distributors and hawkers however they preserve coming again.
He stated the BMC was additionally contemplating the choice of underground markets.
The courtroom then remarked in jest that the company was actually making an attempt to bury the issue underground.
The bench famous the advantageous imposed by civic our bodies on these distributors/hawkers was irrelevant as they’ve increased gross sales per day.
“Your advantageous is pittance to them. They’ll pay and depart,” the excessive courtroom stated.
The courtroom steered the BMC develop a database figuring out all such hawkers in order that they don’t breach orders and are available again with their stalls.
“Let there be a combing operation. Begin with one road…the most important bother is identification. They preserve coming again as a result of they don’t seem to be identifiable,” it stated.
The courtroom posted the matter for additional listening to on July 22.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
