Tussle with Bombay Gym delays BMC plan to relocate hawkers outside CST

Mumbai: The BMC’s ongoing tussle with the elite Bombay Gymkhana has delayed its plans to shift hawkers from around the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) station to the MG Road footpath outside the gymkhana.
Shifting hawkers from around CST, a Unesco World Heritage Site, is part of a special clean-up drive of iconic places in the country under the Swachh Bharat Mission.However, with the gymkhana at loggerheads with the BMC over shifting the hawkers outside their premises, part of the plans to clean up the iconic station are on hold.
In May this year, the ministry of water and sanitation announced a cleanliness drive as part of its Swachh Bharat Abhiyan at over 100 spiritual and heritage sites across nine states. The drive was to begin from 10 iconic locations, including the Ajmer Sharif dargah in Rajasthan, Taj Mahal in Agra and CST station, which were selected to be fully developed as cleanliness models as per global standards.
To improve cleanliness at the station, the BMC proposed to start manning and mopping operations at CST in three shifts, instead of the prevailing two shifts. The BMC also proposed to relocate the licensed hawkers around CST station. The BMC intended to shift 39 stalls of hawkers to the pavement on MG Road and 38 pitches to the one on DN Road.
However, the Bombay Gymkhana has strongly opposed the shifting of hawkers to the MG Road pavement, which would affect around 37 metres of its existing parking space for members’ vehicles. The gymkhana felt the BMC decision was very arbitrary.
While the BMC proposal was dated June 27, 2016, parking permission given to the gymkhana expired on July 15 and has not been renewed.
A senior civic official, “The proposal to relocate hawkers, part of the cleaning of the heritage railway station, has already been tabled before municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta for his approval. However the commissioner has wants to visit the site where the hawkers are to be relocated, which is still pending. Only once the commissioner gives his approval will the BMC issue notices to relocate the hawkers from CST to MG Road and DN Road pavements.”