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."