Mumbai: BMC To Roll Out QR Code-Based ID Cards For 99,435 Hawkers After Years Of Delay

Mumbai, June 3: After years of delay, the BMC is set to roll out QR code-based identity cards for 99,435 hawkers identified in the 2014 survey. The long-awaited exercise, scheduled to begin this week, is aimed at formally recognising vendors and streamlining the implementation of the Street Vendors Act.

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The civic body's hawkers' policy traces its origins to the Street Vendors Act, 2014, and subsequent Supreme Court directives. While a survey identified nearly 1.65 lakh hawkers across Mumbai, only around 99,000 completed the documentation process.

The policy remained stalled for years due to litigation and disputes over the eligibility of surveyed vendors. However, the process gained momentum in April with the formation of the Town Vending Committee (TVC), a key body responsible for guiding the implementation of the hawkers' policy.

Implementation process gathers pace

As part of the ongoing implementation process, the BMC has begun issuing licence certificates to 10,360 traditional vendors who have held civic licences since 1979. The 2014 survey subsequently identified 22,055 more eligible hawkers, expanding the pool of recognised vendors.

According to officials, while 32,415 hawkers are entitled to voting rights in the TVC, the identity card drive will cover all 99,435 vendors identified during the survey.

The QR code-based identity cards will carry details such as the hawker's name, survey form number and particulars of the survey through which their identity was established.

Identity cards not a licence to conduct business

A senior official said, "The distribution exercise is expected to be completed by June 15. However, the cards merely establish the identity of vendors and do not confer eligibility to conduct business. Their validity remains subject to the final decision of the TVC, which will determine eligible vendors as well as designate hawking and non-hawking zones across the city."

The formation of the TVC is currently in its final stages and will include representatives from market associations, traders' bodies, resident welfare associations and NGOs.

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Mayor Ritu Tawde said, "The BMC has accelerated the process of issuing QR code-based identity cards to 99,435 hawkers in line with court directions and the Street Vendors Act. With the proposal already approved by the civic Standing Committee, the exercise has entered its final phase and the cards are expected to be distributed soon."

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