The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has so far issued QR code-based identity cards to around 55,000 eligible hawkers in Mumbai as part of a process aimed at regulating street vending and complying with court directives.
The civic body is in the process of issuing QR code-enabled identity cards to hawkers operating on footpaths across the city. The entire exercise is expected to be completed by August 31.
According to civic officials, the BMC has been directed to issue identity cards to 99,435 hawkers who were identified during a survey conducted within the civic limits. The court's directive came after hawkers' associations approached it over enforcement action taken against street vendors in Mumbai.
Each identity card costs ₹168, taking the total estimated expenditure for 99,435 cards to ₹1.67 crore. Daxy Private Limited has been selected to undertake the production of the identity cards.
So far, approximately 55,000 hawkers have received their QR code-based cards. The total expenditure on producing the cards is expected to be around ₹1.75 crore, according to the proposal to be placed before the BMC Standing Committee for approval at its meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
The QR code-based system is intended to help the civic administration identify surveyed and eligible hawkers and facilitate better regulation of street vending in the city.
The issuance of the identity cards comes amid continued action against unauthorised hawkers and renewed focus on the rehabilitation and regulation of street vendors in Mumbai.