The Aarey Milk Centres are each run by Vilas Sawant and Sushma Pawaskar and the Mafco Farm Fair shop is run by Vinod Puthran. According to them, on Friday evening a BMC officer came on a bike, and gave them the notices. The officer also told them that they have to vacate the places in seven days or the shops will be bulldozed.

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'Dependent on the outlets'

Sawant said, "We took this shop on lease in 1987. My family is dependent on this centre. Our structure is legal and we have not violated any rules. All Aarey Milk Centre booths were constructed on footpaths in 1987." Puthran said, "Our shop was built in 1974 and we haven't changed anything in structure. After 46 years suddenly how is the BMC claiming it is an illegal structure? I have 4-5 employees and my family is dependent on this shop."

Aarey Sarita stalls like this one which received the notice, were built in 1987

Another Aarey Sarita booth lessee, Sushma Pawaskar, whose son Amit runs it, said, "We have all the agreement papers and receipt of the amount we paid to the government of Maharashtra's Aarey dairy. We have been running the shop since 1987. All Aarey shops are on footpaths, so why is BMC targetting our shop?" She claimed across Mumbai, around 1,800 Aarey booths were constructed in 1987 by the Aarey Milk Centre on footpaths.

Also Read: Mumbai: Footpaths to have obstructions to keep vehicles away

BMC speak

Assistant Municipal Commissioner Sharad Ughade of G-South ward said, "This notice is to call papers from the owner/occupier and check their authenticity. Thereafter we will take a decision. Shops on footpaths are illegal. Footpaths are for people to walk."

Vilas Sawant, runs an Aarey booth

1987
Year the Aarey Sarita booths were constructed

1974
Year the Mafco outlet was built

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