The Times of India                    02.04.2013

BMC not to target lingerie shops with mannequins inside

MUMBAI: The civic
body’s drive against shop owners who put up mannequins outside their
stores to display lingerie will not target establishments placing
dummies inside shops. The BMC rules do not dictate what should be
displayed inside shops.

According to the rules, anything
that is put up on footpaths outside the shops is not allowed. In the
past too, the BMC has taken action against shop owners who displayed
mannequins outside their stores.

Mayor Sunil Prabhu recently
asked the BMC to reinforce action against errant shop owners after
corporator Ritu Tawde from Ghatkopar complained of stores putting up
mannequins dressed in “seductive” clothes on footpaths. She said that
such skimpily-clad mannequins are perceived as sex toys and as part of
the women’s safety initiative, the BMC should take action against shop
owners who have such displays outside their establishments.

Tawde said display of such mannequins attracts attention from men and
can lead to crimes against women. Concurring, with the corporator

Prabhu has asked the BMC to take cognizance of the issue. He said such
display should be stopped considering the increase in crimes against
women. “Shops can show products to customers inside the stores, but
there is no need for a display on the roads,” he said.

A civic
official said that in any case, mannequins on the footpaths are illegal.
“The BMC has no power over what shopkeepers should display inside
stores. We take action only against those shops that have mannequins on
footpaths outside their stores,” said a official from the shops and
establishments department.

Shop owners who use mannequins to
display lingerie can rest easy. The BMC’s drive against such display
stops outside a shop’s door as rules do not allow the civic body to
dictate what should be displayed inside a shop.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
(BMC) anything outside a shop on the footpath is not allowed. The BMC
has in the past also taken action against shops that have put mannequins
outside the shops.

The action will be reinforced after the
Mayor directed the BMC to take action against mannequins wearing
lingerie after a woman corporator Ritu Tawde from Ghatkopar complained
about shops that have mannequins outside on the footpaths in seductive
clothes. She said that such skimpily clad mannequins are perceived as
sex toys. So, as part of the women’s safety initiative, the BMC should
take action against shop owners who keep mannequins in provocative
clothes outside their establishments.

Tawde said that such
display attracts attention from men and can lead to crimes against
women. Civic official say that in any case keeping mannequins on the
footpaths is illegal, they can keep those mannequins inside.

“The BMC has no power to tell the shopkeepers what they should and
shouldn’t display inside their shops. We do take action on shops that
keep mannequins outside on the footpath,”said a civic official from the
shops and establishments department.

The mayor concurred with
the corporator and asked the administration to take cognisance of the
issue. Prabhu said such display should be stopped considering the
increasing incidents of crime against women. “The shops can show the
products to customers when they visit the stores. But there is no need
to put them on the road.”