Hawkers oppose PMC’s blacklisting move, demand vending committee meeting

Pune: Just a few days after Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) announcement regarding the blacklisting of hawkers who defaulted on their fees, roadside vendors have voiced their opposition.They have demanded that a meeting of the Town Vending Committee (TVC) to be held at the earliest and the civic administration address their grievances before taking punitive action.
"The administration is not providing a platform for us to raise our concerns. Options like the TVC can only be effective if meetings are held on a regular basis," said Sanjay Shanke of Janeev, an organisation working for hawkers' welfare. PMC data indicated that there are approximately 21,000 registered hawkers in the city. Of these, around 7,000 are currently facing potential blacklisting.As per the letter that the TVC has written to PMC, the primary point of contention is the recent public notice regarding the recovery of daily fees. TVC members claimed that this notice was issued in local newspapers without their formal approval. They are now demanding an immediate stay on the recovery process and a ‘sympathetic' reconsideration of fee structures, which many vendors find unaffordable.The members also proposed a simplified instalment plan for pending arrears. They requested that penalties collected previously during enforcement actions be adjusted against future dues upon verification of payment receipts.Citizens, however, demanded action against the hawkers who are creating a nuisance on the road."The hawkers occupy the footpaths. Walking on them becomes a major issue for pedestrians. The administration must act against such hawkers," said Manasi Kulkarni, a resident of Paud Road.According to PMC officials, the civic administration is regularly removing the hawkers. Special drives are conducted in areas like Fergusson Road, JM Road, Satara Road, and Sinhagad Road. Hawkers operating without proper permissions are being removed. GFX‘DUE PROCESS FOLLOWED'#Pune city has as many as 21,000 registered hawkers#7,000 are facing potential blacklisting#The civic administration has to recover dues of around Rs 40 crore from the vendors#PMC officials said the licence fee was finalised in 2019#Fee structure is based on areas and business prospects#There are 6 categories comprising A++ (Rs 200), A1 (Rs 100), A (Rs 50), B (Rs 25), C (Rs 20), Group E workers (Rs 5)QUOTE: It [licence] helps traders to receive the benefits of the PMC's hawkers' policy. They are also eligible for the welfare schemes introduced by state as well as the Union govt. All the due process was followed before issuing the noticesA senior PMC official