AHAR Intensifies Fight With BMC To Arrest Hawker Menace

Reema Sisodia - Mumbai

The Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR), has further intensified its fight against the city’s municipal authorities. In a recently held meeting the office bearers of AHAR pleaded with the BMC commissioner, K C Srivastava for immediate action to be taken to stop the ‘menace’ of roadside food stalls. Despite holding a series of meetings, BMC authorities have failed to take adequate action and have remained tight-lipped on the subject.

Speaking about the meeting and its result, Ravipal Singh Gandhi, president, AHAR, revealed, “Despite the judgment of the Supreme Court that hawking of food items is illegal, no action has been taken, after repeated meetings and requests to tackle the problem. Hawking of food items has a direct impact on the business of hoteliers and we are subject to all kinds of taxes and laws that are not applicable to hawkers. Such unjust rules work against our interest.”

Confusion still prevails regarding the action that needs to be taken, as the license department and health department is unclear as to who should take action first. However, the commissioner recently has given an order to look into the issue at the earliest, hoping for a joint addressal to resolve the problem. Mentioned Nikhil Shetty, honourary treasurer, AHAR, “If there is no answer to our fight, there will be a point where hotels in Mumbai will have to shut shop due to increasing levels of taxes and the fall in business, which would get further intensified due to the hawkers problem.”