MNS leaders start door-to-door campaign to protest hawking zones in their area

An MNS worker explains the party's handbill to a citizen at her residence

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has taken its fight against civic body's hawking pitches right to citizens' doorsteps - after MNS chief Raj Thackeray asked his partymen to make the general public aware about rules of hawking zones, local leaders have started a door-to-door campaign.

'Not near our homes'
Party workers have been distributing handbills and sending messages on social media, explaining to people the points they can register their objections on with respect to the hawking pitches marked in their areas. The campaign was started after a few hawking zones were marked on roads close to Raj's house Krishnakunj in Shivaji Park, which irked party leaders. MNS leader and former corporator Santosh Dhuri said, "We have started distributing handbills on which it's mentioned that we won't allow hawking pitches on footpaths or roads near our societies. We are going from door to door and requesting people to check the hawking zones marked in their localities. If they find any problem, for example, zones in narrow and congested lanes or on footpaths, they should register their objections."

WhatsApp warning
MNS workers have also circulated a message on WhatsApp - hawkers aren't allowed on footpaths that are less than 10 feet wide, on roads that are less than 60 feet wide, within 150 metres of railway stations, within 100 metres of religious places, hospitals, schools and colleges, and in areas seeing too much traffic. The message urges citizens to file their objections as soon as possible. "Otherwise, you (citizens) will find hawkers outside your shops and buildings, and then, it will be too late," it adds.

A senior civic official said, "The list published on hawking zones names proposed areas; it's not finalised. We have already invited suggestions and objections for it."

85,891 No. of proposed hawking pitches
1,366 Number of roads having these zones

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