The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is gearing up for the election to the Town Vending Committee (TVC) to regularise hawkers and completed a draw for determining women’s quotas in various categories. Though hawker unions strongly protested against the exercise, claiming it is based on data collected eight years ago, they are in wait-and-watch mode for now.

In 2014, following a Supreme Court order, Parliament enacted the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act. An essential component of this Act is the TVC, which oversees the issuance of licences to hawkers, manages pitches and regulates street vending in the city.  The long-pending election schedule of the TVC has been announced and the entire process of election will be held from August 5 to 29. Even the draw process for women’s reservation in various categories in the Street Vending Committees was held at the BMC headquarters on Monday.