Bandra Fair: Rental hike, stall allotment method create a stir

As the Mount Mary Basilica prepares for its annual feast on September 8, the discussion over the allotment of stalls for hawkers during the week-long Bandra Fair has turned into a stalemate over a dispute over hiked rents.

The church has also decided to allot the stalls through a lottery instead of the earlier practice of giving them to families that have been renting the stalls for generations. Potential stall owners have therefore not collected the application forms and the church has accused some of them of forcing others to boycott the allotment process.