BMC Issues QR Code ID Cards to Hawkers with Dadar Leading Verifications
On Thursday, Mayor Ritu Tawde distributed QR-code-enabled identity cards to 100 registered vendors in Mumbai, with the major hawking hub of Dadar recording the highest number of registration verifications. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) initiative aims to resolve the city's decade-long encroachment and illegal hawking issues by distinguishing authorized vendors from unauthorized ones.
A total of 99,345 hawkers across the city are scheduled to receive the QR-code-equipped identity cards. Many of these vendors originally registered during a civic survey conducted by the BMC in 2014 as part of the process to establish the Town Vending Committee (TVC).
To obtain their cards, the 99,000-odd registered hawkers must visit their respective ward offices to verify their registration details, including their names, survey numbers, locations, and jurisdictions. While the verification process began on June 5 and was initially scheduled to finish by June 15, the BMC has extended the deadline to June 26. A senior civic official explained that the extension was requested from the Bombay High Court because many hawkers were out of town and needed time to return.
Civic officials confirmed that Dadar has seen the highest number of completed verifications so far. Other areas with high verification rates include Colaba and Churchgate in south Mumbai, as well as Goregaon in the western suburbs.
The new QR cards will allow both the BMC and the Mumbai Police to instantly verify whether a hawker is operating legally, making it easier to take action against unauthorized vendors. Once the distribution is complete, the TVC will allocate designated vending pitches and establish dedicated vending zones to free up encroached public spaces.
The initiative is part of a broader hawkers' policy first drafted in 2020. Implementation was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent dissolution of the corporation's elected body in 2022. The process resumed after corporators returned in January this year.
