Mumbai: Bombay high court on Wednesday directed BMC to prepare new identification cards with QR codes for the 99,000-odd eligible hawkers in five weeks.Justices A S Gadkari and Kamal Khata told Hawkers Unions to cooperate with BMC and send hawkers to the licence department of each ward. They directed that all other previous orders be strictly complied with and adjourned to June 10 a suo motu PIL on hawking issues and implementation of Street Vendors Act.HC said nothing was done to properly handle the issue of the large number of illegal hawkers and said QR codes will bring in transparency. It also wants a plan on how BMC will identify alleged Bangladeshi hawkers. Advocate Jamshed Mistry, amicus curiae, said the Act’s implementation is vital. Additional solicitor general Anil Singh for BMC said the civic body will take steps but establishing hawkers’ identities will take time.HC had passed directions on a clutch of petitions on March 26, including upholding a voters’ list for town vending committee polls and directing BMC to permit 99,435 persons found eligible to hawk and verify the remaining 29,008 in four months.
