BMC auctions 165 stalls for Bandra fair, earns R20 lakh

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has earned more than Rs 20 lakh by auctioning space for 165 stalls at the Bandra fair festival on Friday.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has earned more than Rs 20 lakh by auctioning space for 165 stalls at the Bandra fair festival on Friday.

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According to M.M. Kshirsagar, assistant municipal commissioner, the money collected is the rent for the stalls in the one-week long festival.

With the Bombay High Court limiting number of stalls during the fair to 165, the BMC has decided to reserve 89 stalls, which will sell religious items.

The decision was taken after two delegations of candle makers, who regularly put up stalls at the fair, were led by Bharatiya Janata Party corporator Ashish Shelar and Congress corporators Asif Zakaria and Rehbar Khan to meet Kshirsagar last week.

They demanded the civic body to reserve more stalls for selling religious items as the high court had restrained the number of stalls at the fair.

Bandra residents had dragged the BMC to court on August 17 over the hawker menace during Bandra fair at the Mount Mary Church every September.

Around 250 residents had filed a petition seeking action against illegal hawkers who encroach the entire area during the fair.