The Times of India               10.07.2013

Civic body to construct five recreational centres for senior citizens

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to construct five recreational centres for senior citizens in the city.

According to the civic officials, the centres will be set up in civic welfare centres at Bhawani Shankar Road, Dadar, Bhandup Village, Rani Sati Marg, Malad East, Mulgaon village, Mahalaki Caves Road, Andheri East and Mhada Layout, Gorai, Borivali West.

"These are the initial recreational centres. We plan to set up recreational centre spread over at least 700 sq ft area in every ward for senior citizens. They will be provided leisure amenities free of cost every Sunday from 7 am to 7 pm at these centres. Facilities like Yoga, bridge, sudoku. chess, carom, newspapers and magazines, TV sets etc will also be provided to them at these centres," said a senior civic officials.

The recreational centres are the part of a special policy designed for them by the BMC. The policy also provides them a free of cost surgery in civic hospitals, a special helpline to guide on their problems and a permission to construct commode at their residence. The senior citizens will be given priority in awareness campaigns, festivals and civic activities.

There will also be a special health desk for senior citizens in all the major civic hospitals. Special weekly outdoor patients departments will also be held, in which medical experts will be available to treat them. A special geriatric section will be created in BMC hospitals for senior citizens.

According to the civic data, there are about 12 lakh senior citizens, who are of 60 years and above. Around 21 per cent of them (2.5 lakh) are below poverty line. 

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.

Looking for better deal

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.