Mumbai, June 2 -- After years of delays, legal hawking in Mumbai could finally become a reality for nearly one lakh street vendors. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has assured a Shiv Sena delegation on Monday that QR code-enabled identity cards will begin reaching eligible hawkers from June 10, paving the way for them to operate legally across the city, except in designated no-hawking zones. The assurance came during a meeting on Monday between municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide and a delegation led by deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam. Ghadi said the civic body has informed the delegation that distribution of the identity cards will begin through ward offices from June 10 onwards and is likely to be completed within days. The QR-code equipped identity cards will be issued to 99,435 hawkers identified as eligible in the 2014 survey conducted under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. Once they receive the cards, the vendors will be recognised as authorised hawkers. Ghadi further clarified that this will be an interim arrangement until the formation of Town Vending Committees (TVCs) that will then determine the hawking zones. "Around 3500 hawkers, who used to hawk from the 20 no-hawking zones across the city as determined by the courts, will have to be adjusted to hawk in their neighbouring lanes," said Nirupam. Implementation of the Street Vendors Act has been delayed for years in Mumbai despite repeated directions from courts. The hawkers' issue has also triggered differences between the ruling allies in Maharashtra. While the Shiv Sena has advocated protection for eligible vendors, the BJP has backed anti-encroachment drives and repeatedly raised concerns over illegal hawking....