Many candidates are hafta collectors: Unions

Ahead of BMC elections, hawker unions allege unfair representation and corruption. They claim "hafta collectors" are posing as candidates and boycott the process.

Mumbai: Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) elections to pick hawker representatives in the town vending committee (TVC) on August 29, unions have raised concerns about fair representation, with many alleging that “hafta collectors” are masquerading as candidates to enter the fray.

Hawkers on the footpath outside Dadar station area.

Faisal Qureshi, general secretary, Adarsh Stall Holders’ Union, which has 500 stall owners, and the Linking Road Stall Owners Association claimed that the elections “are partial”.

“In various wards, BMC has made hafta collectors contest the elections so that the hawker-BMC nexus can thrive. As only 22,000 new hawkers will be legalised, the fear is that genuine stall owners will be left out of the contest,” said Qureshi.

The Mumbai Hawkers’ Union, which has a history spanning 50 years, has chosen to boycott the elections, calling the entire process a sham. Shashank Rao, president of the union, said they are abstaining from contesting as they do not agree with BMC’s list of 32,000 eligible hawkers as “legal”.

Like Qureshi, Rao also alleged underhandedness in the process. “BMC officers want haftas to continue. A regular hawker earns ₹3000 per month and those running larger businesses like vada pao stalls, earn more. Out of ₹3000, a major chunk goes to BMC officials and some of it to the police officials,” he said.

Rao also added in most places handcarts don’t belong to hawkers and are given on rent by civic officials to sell their wares. “The hafta collected is so huge from unauthorised hawkers that they don’t want this tradition to stop. The fine print is that BMC does not want to regularise hawkers, which explains the token list of 32,000 legal vendors. It is clear – if they regularise the system, the collections will end and many civic officials will probably quit their jobs.”

Rao added that if Delhi can implement the Street Vendors Livelihood and Protection Act of 2014, which mandates inclusion of 2.5 percent of the total population, BMC can follow suit as well. “So out of 1.40 crore population more than 3 lakh hawkers can be accommodated. If Delhi can implement it, BMC also can do the same in Mumbai if meticulously planned,” he said.

Given their tough stand, will hawkers in the union not lose out in the long run? Rao said, “If the basic intention is not to give justice to hawkers and regularise them, then the whole point of contesting elections and sitting in the TVC is futile. Neither the street vendors nor the people of Mumbai will benefit from this exercise.”

When HT called Anil Kate, superintendent of licence department, for his version, he remained unavailable for comment.