1. In making Mumbai,
a better place to live in, have a concerted drive in a given area. Once
the area is cleared, get the local politicians, the municipal officers,
the local residents, the local police and others involved in a handing
over ceremony. It is now for them to maintain the place. Here Hawkers are cleared in the morning and by afternoon it is business as usual.
2. Also make it a rule
that Hawking is possible only from Standard Mobile Carts. No one is
permitted to lay their wares on the road or build stalls. Also hawking
is permitted only on one side of the road. The other path is free for
pedestrians.
3. Build Markets in
areas where the population cross a benchmark. Shift the Hawkers to the
Market place on a first come basis. Make rates for Hawking on the
streets double that you charge for similar space in the market.
4. Issue instructions to
demolish however old, whether earlier approved or not, all extensions
made to buildings on the ground floor. No shop on the ground floor
should be permitted to display wares beyond the plinth area.All these
extensions are land grabbing by muscle power. No society member likes to
get involved for threat of life.
5. Give permissions for
all buildings in Mumbai to have their ground floors if approved by their
society to turn commercial. This will cause more avenues for wealth
generation(for the individual & state), alternatives for the
unemployed, and lesser hawking on the streets.
6. A team of
designers,architects,etc to design carts of dimension similar to
existing carts.Licence Hawkers alone permitted to stand besides cart.
7. No other structures permitted to sell wares.
8. This stall area is
determined by calculating the earnings possible by sale of product vs.
the earnings needed for the hawker to maintain a family of four.
Provision should also be made to ensure the allotted member alone stands
at the stall at the appointed hour for dispensing of goods. His details
and photograph should be prominently displayed. No person other than
the allotted should be permitted to sell the wares. This will prevent
stall capturing. In allotting stalls priority should be given to a
single member in a family. Only after all unemployed applicants are
covered should the second member be given opportunity.
9. We
need to redefine the role of the Police. I think it is a better idea
for the Police to ensure the area under their control is free of Hawkers, Encroachments and Roadside dwellers.
10. There is an
increasing tendency of shops and establishments to encroach upon the
Public space or pedestrian footpaths, by muscle power or otherwise. A
law should be introduced that prevent any establishment or eatery from
expanding beyond the original approved building plan and built up area.
Permissions if granted by any authority earlier should all be cancelled.
Thus all commercial establishments will have to procure additional
space for expanding their activities, or give rise to opportunities for
new entrants to venture into business. This will cause greater creation
and better distribution of wealth.
11. Even storage outside
the shop limits should be banned. This law will create a greater demand
of built space and increase the revenue collections. This law should
also be made applicable on those who have expanded in their residential
Society space. These expansions should be completely cleared and no
permission given.
12. Permission should be
given to residents of Housing Societies to convert their apartments for
any business activity, which is in the accepted lists of trade
acknowledged and accepted by the society. This will create more
opportunities for creation of wealth, and ensure that prices are within
control through a healthy competition. Licences to be issued to all
those engaged in commercial activity.
13. Another major cause
of encroachment is for slumlords to capture spots and erect places of
worship. A law should be legislated that for a place of worship to be
recognised as one, it is necessary that the spot be earmarked and
designated as such. We find suddenly in a slum a spot which was a
hutment suddenly emerging as a Temple or Masjid. This causes resentment
and disturbance in the neighbourhood. The Law should treat such places
as illegal and have them demolished.
14.
Can we have a Law that makes it the responsibility of the local police
under whose jurisdiction this street happens to ensure no one arrives
from nowhere, and makes the street their home. They just need to be sent
to the nearest beggar’s home. The men & women have to be skilled
during their stay at the home based on their inclinations, and converted
to useful members of society. Once skilled they have to be asked to
return to their place of birth/origin and begin life anew. Else the City
will forever be an overgrown slum, inviting more children to the dark.
