Hawkers Welcome High Court Order on Street Vending Scheme

• State directed to notify scheme within four months; civic bodies told to expedite implementation

Pimpri : Hawkers’ organisations have welcomed the Bombay High Court’s directions to the Maharashtra government to finalise and notify the state-level street vendors’ scheme within four months and expedite implementation of the Street Vendors Act across the state.

A bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Ashish Chavan also directed civic bodies to constitute grievance redressal committees within six weeks. The court issued specific directions concerning Pimpri-Chinchwad, Kolhapur, Panvel, Parbhani, Satara, Kalyan-Dombivli and Mumbai.

The Maharashtra Hawkers Federation had approached the High Court seeking effective implementation of the Act and notification of a new state-level scheme, after the earlier 2017 scheme was scrapped. Hawkers in Nigdi welcomed the order by gathering for tea.

Maharashtra Hawkers Kranti Mahasangh president Kashinath Nakhate alleged that despite hawker committee elections being held in Pimpri-Chinchwad in 2024, the civic administration had failed to hold meetings and was instead taking action against ordinary vendors.

“The Street Vendors Act must be implemented in letter and spirit. We will continue our legal as well as street-level fight for the rights of hawkers,” Nakhate said.