The division bench of Justice B P Saraf and Justice A Y Sakhare gave this interim order on Monday after hearing the writ petition filed by the Wholesale Bhajipala-Phool Vyapari Mandal, an organisation of all the marketeers at the Krantisingh Nana Patil market.

The BMC had recently shifted the 542-odd licenced flower sellers of the Patil Mandai to a new shed in the premises of its waste treatment centre at the Senapati Bapat Marg, claiming it to be a temporary measure. The petitioners said that as per BMC's original plan all licenced flower-vegetable-fish marketeers of the old market were to be accommodated in the new plaza. However, the BMC changed the plan mid-way and shifted only the flower sellers.Later it issued notices to them stating that theirtransfer would be permanent.

The petitioners' counsel Rajendra Desai argued that BMC's decision was unfair to the flower marketeers since they could be easily accommodated in the new plaza admeasuring 3.96 lakh square feet. Moreover, he argued, that it was illogical to uproot the original flower sellers and instead accommodate 2,600 hawkers who are doing illegal business on Ranade Road, D'Silva Road and Senapati Bapat Marg. ``It's like rewarding them for unauthorised hawking,'' he said.

The BMC counsel could not explain why the flower marketeers could not be accommodated in the new plaza.