Mumbai: After facing sharp criticism from the Bombay HC over glaring gaps in its street vendors policy, the Maharashtra government has appointed a panel to draft a comprehensive and uniform scheme.

The move comes even as civic bodies intensify drives against illegal hawkers. An estimated 7 lakh legal and illegal street vendors operate within the limits of BMC, but only about 99,000 have been officially recognised as eligible under the current regulatory framework.

During the hearing of Writ Petition No. 3890/2021, the High Court on March 26 observed that the state’s 2017 scheme suffered from several critical omissions.

It failed to incorporate key provisions under Section 38 and Schedule II of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which mandate a comprehensive framework to safeguard livelihoods while regulating vending activities.

Schedule II lays down norms for surveys, issuance of vending certificates and identity cards, fee structures, revenue collection, and licence validity and renewal.

The court further noted that the scheme was silent on crucial aspects such as issuance of licences between survey cycles, eviction protocols, confiscation and return of goods, relocation of vendors, and social audits. Acting on these observations, the Urban Development Department has constituted a 12- member committee under the Commissioner of the Directorate of Municipal Administration.

The panel includes senior officials from municipal corporations in Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, along with representatives from Malegaon, Badlapur, Khamgaon, Alibag and Wada.

The Deputy Commissioner of the Directorate will serve as Member-Secretary. The committee has been given one month to submit its report. Its mandate includes reviewing gaps in the 2017 government resolution, aligning the revised scheme with statutory provisions, and drawing on best practices from other states.

Before final notification, the draft will be circulated among local bodies and Town Vending Committees (TVCs). Civic authorities have also been directed to constitute TVCs, conduct vendor surveys, and hold elections where necessary. Local bodies will consult TVCs and submit their feedback to the panel before the scheme is finalised.

Mumbai: Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) Dr. Vipin Sharma today (April 20, 2026) visited the Manohar Wiman Desai Hospital of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation located in Malad East area. During this visit, he visited the outpatient department, intensive care unit and various departments of the hospital. During this visit, he also interacted with the patients coming for treatment at the hospital. Along with this, he also interacted with the doctors, nurses and related officers and employees working in the hospital and got information about the situation there. During today’s visit of Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Vipin Sharma, Dr. Chandrakant Pawar, Chief Medical Superintendent and Head of the Suburban Hospitals Department of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation were also present. During today’s visit, Dr. Sharma inspected the machinery, ambulance and various issues related to the hospital and discussed the situation there in detail with the concerned persons. Besides, while interacting with the doctors, nurses and concerned officers and employees providing medical services, Dr. Sharma directed that all the doctors and concerned employees providing medical services in the hospital should speak more politely with the patients coming to the hospital for medical treatment and consult the patients properly. Dr. Sharma expressed satisfaction about the cleanliness and service facilities in the hospital. Manohar Wiman Desai Hospital is a major hospital of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation located in the Malad East area. This 180-bed hospital has been providing medical services to the people of Mumbai since 1976. The hospital administration also informed on this occasion that the outpatient registration of this hospital is open between 8 am and 11 am on office working days.

Mumbai: A beggar who forced children to beg by dressing them in girls’ clothes and begging has been arrested by the police in Mumbai. He was the head of a begging and living gang. Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 6 has arrested him. Shivaji Nagar Police Station 237/2026 u/s 139, 142, 352, 351(2) BNS along with Sections 4, 6, 8, 12, 17 POCSO along with Section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking of Children and Protection of Women Act along with Section 7 of the Third Person Act (*Forced Sexual Relations with POCSO) was registered against the accused. In this case, the police have registered a case against Babu Ainal Khan alias Babu Guru alias Babu Zankha, aged 30 years, resident of Gali No. 9, near Bab Rehmat Masjid, Rafiq Nagar Part No. 2, Shivaji Nagar. Govindi has been arrested. The complainant’s minor son was kidnapped and forcibly transformed into a third gender and for his financial gain, the child was forced to beg in a local train and the said minor was also forced to dress up as a girl and have natural sexual intercourse with male customers, for which the said crime was registered in the police station. The Crime Branch has taken the accused into custody for investigation of this matter. Based on its confidential information, the Crime Branch arrested the accused from Vashi Naka, who was hiding here by hiding his identity.

According to the information received, the said team had laid a trap in Vashi Kopri village in Navi Mumbai. But the wanted accused became suspicious and started fleeing towards Mumbai in a motor car by another route along with his other accomplices. Then the said team also chased his motor car and arrested him from Panjrapole Junction, Trombay, Mumbai. At that time, it was confirmed that the said wanted accused is the same and he was brought to the Crime Branch office. When he was questioned in connection with the said crime, it was found that he was actively involved in the crime, he was medically examined and handed over to Shivajinagar Police Station for further investigation. The accused has a criminal record against him.

1) Shivajinagar Police Station G No. No. 718/2024 C 115(2), 118(1), 353,351 BNS Narapoli Police Station No. No. 1704/2024 C 109, 118(1), 352, 351, BNS Kurla Police Station G No. 240/2017 C 365, 342, 348, IPC Deonar Police Station No. No. 150/ 2010 C 324,323 IPC Shivajinagar Police Station 218/2025 C 3(a), 6(a) Section 3 along with cases registered under sections 318(4), 336, 337, 339, 340(2) BNS of the Foreign National Order Act
This information has been given here today by Bharat Ghona, in-charge of Unit 6.