27 June,2026 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
Azad Hawkers Union General Secretary Jayshankar Singh (centre) with vendors after the distribution of QR code identity cards
For decades, police challans, BMC penalty receipts and confiscation records were the "daag" Mumbai's street vendors wanted to erase. Today, in a twist worthy of the old "Daag Achhe Hain" slogan, those very stains have become badges of legitimacy.
As the BMC rolls out QR code-based identity cards under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, old enforcement records are helping thousands prove they have been earning their livelihood on the city's streets for years. Documents once used to penalise vendors are now among the strongest pieces of evidence supporting their claim.
The exercise follows directions from Bombay High Court, under which BMC has identified 99,433 eligible vendors from 1,02,426 applications. Authorities are also examining the claims of around 29,008 vendors who say they were vending before May 1, 2014, but could not complete their applications.
The move follows directions from the Bombay High Court, which asked the civic body to complete the long-pending verification exercise. June 26, 2026, marked the final deadline fixed by the court for the process.
Jayshankar Singh, General Secretary of Azad Hawkers Union and a member of the Mumbai City Street Vendors Committee, said the verification follows the legal framework evolved from Supreme Court guidelines and the Street Vendors Act. According to him, priority has been given to vendors who had applied before May 1, 2014. He also clarified that receiving a QR code does not automatically permit vending anywhere in the city.
Decisions on the following are yet to be finalised through the Town Vending Committee:
. Hawking zones
. Non-hawking zones
. Road-wise allocation
. Number of vendors permitted in each location
"This is my identity now"
Laukush Tiwari, 51, who has operated a book stall on Old Nagardas Road in Andheri since 1995, said the QR card finally gives him official recognition after decades of uncertainty. He submitted Aadhaar, PAN, domicile documents, previous BMC and police penalty receipts, along with municipal survey records during verification.
"Third generation, first official recognition"
Mohan Yadav, 45, a vegetable vendor from Sakinaka-Chandivli who operates on Nagardas Road, said vending has been his family's livelihood for three generations. He credited years of legal intervention by the Azad Hawkers Union for making the identity cards possible. However, he said he was fined by police on Thursday despite showing his newly issued QR code card.
"Third generation, first official recognition"
"Waiting since 2001" Kapil Yadav, dabeliwala, listed in the Limca Book of Records for preparing 80 dabelis in 10 minutes, has run his stall on Nagardas Road since 1990. He said he had earlier received recognition during the Tata Yuva survey in 2000, but his licence was cancelled in 2001. "This business raised my family," he said, adding that it paid for his children's education and marriages.
"Years of records finally mattered"
Ramesh Gupta, 47, who runs a pani puri stall near Teli Gali on Andheri-Kurla Road, inherited the business from his father. He submitted old BMC penalty receipts and police fine records during verification before receiving his QR code identity card.
What it does
. Recognises an eligible street vendor
. Creates an official digital identity
. Records verified vending status
What it does not do
. Guarantee a vending spot
. Allow vending anywhere in Mumbai
. Override future hawking zone regulations
Documents considered during verification include:
. Documentary proof of vending
. Previous BMC penalty receipts
. Records of seizure of goods
. Police challans
. Court appearances related to vending
. Any other record establishing long-term livelihood through street vending
