Panchkula town vending panel meeting tomorrow

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, June 17

The Panchkula Municipal Corporation has decided to set up street vending zones at a distance of minimum 50 metres from roads in the city. Besides, the vending zones will be 200 meters away from government buildings like the mini-secretariat and the district courts complex. The town vending committee (TVC) will take a final call on these points in its meeting on June 19.

Besides, the issue of the monthly rent to be charges from vendors and number of vendors to be settled in the vending zones will also be taken up. The MC has identified 24 places in Panchkula for the purpose. The MC will rehabilitate around 2,860 street vendors.

Of 2,860 vendors, 40 are mobile vendors, who move from one place to other, whereas the remaining vendors operate from a fixed place. The 24 places where they will be given place are located in Sectors 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 12-A, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, and the Industrial Area.

A private company from New Delhi was given the work of carrying out the survey to identify street vendors. A mobile-based application, using the GIS mapping with the digital photograph of vendors, was employed in the survey conducted under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.

As per Section 3 (III) of the Act, no street vendor will be evicted or re-allocated from his/her place of livelihood till the survey is completed.

Notably, Parliament had passed the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which guarantees them the right to work as street vendors. They can be evicted only as per provisions of the Act.

The number of vendors has increased in the city after the MC started the survey. Vendors from other states have also come to Panchkula.

The MC enforcement wing was also told not to challan old vendors.

Four postgrads, 58 graduates among vendors

Among 2,860 street vendors in Panchkula, four are postgraduates and 58 graduates. As many as 54 per cent street vendors did not attend school whereas 10 per cent attended school only till the primary level.