The Times of India               10.07.2013

BMC to rope in TISS for study on hawker presence

MUMBAI: The BMC proposes to appoint Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and RachanaSansad as consultants for a detailed study on the hawker presence in the city. The consultants will be asked to prepare a report that will help in the effective implementation of the National Hawking Policy.

The institutes are expected to submit the report within three months.

There is a large presence of unauthorized hawkers in the city, and the consultants will study ways and means of accommodating and regulating vendors in accordance with the guidelines in the National Hawking Policy.

"The study will include factors like working out suitable timings-whether hawkers should be around at night, in the evening or in the morning," an official said.

The official said the consultants will survey scheduled spots and the type of commodities involved in hawking. The survey will focus on stationary and mobile hawkers, squatters and Aarey Sarita stalls.

The consultants will also study different types of hawkers like stationary and moving handcarts, issuing of squatter licences and hawkers carrying overhead goods.

Civic officials recently met Professor Sharit Bhowmik of TISS and Dr Rohit Shinkre of Rachana Sansad and asked them to conduct the study at an estimated cost of Rs 3.51 lakh and Rs 5.20 lakh. The proposal will be tabled before the standing committee on Wednesday.

TISS and Rachana Sansad have been asked to come up with logistical details of the number of pitches and the hawkers that can be relocated to different places across the city.

Of late, the civic body faced a lot of criticism for failing to take timely and concrete efforts to regulate hawking in the city.

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The states

Unlicensed hawkers in city: 2.5 lakh

Licensed hawkers: 15,159

Hawking zones: 191

Terms reference for study

The hawker study will include factors like working out suitable timings-whether to allow hawking at night, in the evening or in the morning. The consultants will survey scheduled spots, like pavements, hawkers' plazas, railway stations, bus stops, housing societies, parking lots, picnic spots, gardens, slums, colonies and foot over-bridges. A survey on the commodities, like fruits, vegetables, eatables, fish, cutlery and clothes, will also be done.