Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Feb 8: The Bombay High Court, while hearing a suo moto Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the illegal hawker issue, is set to deliver a decision on the elections for the Town Vending Committee (TVC), which will determine hawking zones and hawker eligibility in the city. Meanwhile, the court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to continue its action against illegal hawkers at the 20 designated test drive locations.

The division bench, comprising Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal Khata, noted that the previous TVC election, conducted by BMC in August 2024, was stayed by the Supreme Court due to discrepancies in the electoral roll. Referring to the SC order, the court asked the BMC to explore the possibility of conducting the TVC elections using the 2014 electoral roll, which included 99,000 licensed hawkers eligible to vote.

The BMC counsel sought time to consult civic officers on the electoral roll and the formation of TVCs in each of the city's seven zones. The bench agreed to grant more time for these consultations while reiterating the importance of keeping the 20 test case locations hawker-free.