SC Halts BMC From Evicting Colaba Causeway Hawkers

Residents' Association Plans to File an Intervention Plea Challenging the Stay Order in the SC

- Linah Baliga

MUMBAI: The BMC will be unable to evict the Colaba Causeway hawkers for now, as the Supreme Court has granted a stay on their removal. "They shall not be evicted without leave of this court," stated Justice Abhay Oka's SC order dated January 27, of which HT has a copy.

In response, the Clean Heritage Colaba Residents' Association (CHCRA) plans to file an intervention plea challenging the stay order in the SC.

The SC order came after the Colaba Causeway Tourism Hawkers' Stall Union filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the apex court against the impugned judgment and final order dated December 12, 2024, of the HC in a writ petition against the state of Maharashtra. The SLP involves 253 hawkers, although the BMC asserts that only 76 are licensed stall owners.

The hawkers' union has stated in the SLP that the HC dismissed its writ petition without adverting to the merits of its submissions raised and without considering the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending Act) 2014 Act. The Act was implemented by the Centre on May 1, 2014, but has not yet been notified by the state government.