MUMBAI, July 27 -- A growing dispute has emerged between the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) and traders on Gharapuri (Elephanta Island) after the Board on July 13 offered 130 stall owners a one-time opportunity to regularise their stalls by clearing outstanding dues and entering into five-year lease agreements. While the MMB has warned that if traders do not comply within 15 days, they will be evicted, traders have rejected the rent demands as "arbitrary, excessive and unreasonable". Issued under the Maharashtra Maritime Board (Regulations for Leasing Stalls and Leasing Land for Erection of Stalls), 2026, Clause 9 of the notice says that existing stall users must clear all outstanding dues within 15 days and also convey their willingness to pay the prescribed annual lease rent, following which they will be eligible to execute a five-year lease agreement with the Board. At the end of the lease period, the stalls will be auctioned through an open tender process, with existing occupants getting the first right to match the highest bid. According to the notice, the licence holder for the 56-square-metre stalls is the gram panchayat of Gharapuri and the licence was valid from August 19, 2016, to March 31, 2026. After working out the rent from 2016, the notice concludes that every stall holder owes MMB Rs.4,58,705 in lease rent and Rs.82,567 towards GST, taking the total outstanding demand to Rs.5,41,272. Replying to the Board, several traders said they were willing to pay a "fair and reasonable" rent but could not accept the amount demanded. The current annual rent, which was substantially increased in 2021, stands at Rs.50,460, with GST of Rs.9,083, taking the total amount to Rs.59,543. Baliram Thakur, the sarpanch of the Elephanta gram panchayat, said that all the 130 stalls on the island had been served eviction notices. "Most have been here for 50 years but their numbers increased over the last 25 years as families grew," he said. "In 2015, there were 69 stalls and now there are 130. Tourists are the only source of income for islanders." Thakur said the first eviction notice was issued on August 1, 2025, followed by another on April 17, 2026, which demanded arrears from 2015 along with GST, amounting to several lakh rupees. "We are willing to pay the rent but MMB has demanded 15 years' arrears all at once and has told us they will demolish the stalls if we don't pay," he said. Asked why the stall owners had not paid rent for so many years, Thakur said they had repeatedly approached MMB and were willing to pay rent but their proposals were never accepted. "MMB has never asked us for rent," he said. The sarpanch said that 12 stalls were demolished on July 13, after which the remaining traders were given 15 days to clear the arrears or vacate the land. "We put forth a proposal on July 13, saying we would pay in instalments and requested MMB to measure our shops again," he said. "But all they keep saying is that they will demolish our stalls." The traders said their stalls were not recent encroachments but long-standing businesses and the only source of livelihood for many island families. Among those facing eviction is 50-year-old Sandip Patil, who lives on the island with his parents, wife and two children and sells vada pav and cutlery. "Business is best during the summer, winter, on weekends and during festivals," he said. The traders also accused the authorities of selective enforcement, claiming that unauthorised structures such as the mini train, port canteen, cottages and workshops continued to operate on MMB land without action. They maintained that their stalls were temporary structures and therefore did not violate Coastal Regulation Zone norms. They also alleged that despite the Board collecting a Rs.25 tourism fee from each visitor, little of the revenue was spent on the island's development. The stall owners have demanded withdrawal of the notices and a joint meeting with villagers, Gram Panchayat representatives, Maharashtra Maritime Board officials, state ministers and elected representatives. They have urged the government to formulate a comprehensive policy for the stall holders and determine rentals after consultations with stakeholders. The MMB spokesperson remained unavailable for comment....