Vendors seek accountability of candidates on promises

Tribune News Service

Harshraj Singh

Ludhiana, April 28

As the Municipal Corporation has failed to ensure the implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, so far in the city, vendors have encountered difficulties in conducting their businesses due to the absence of designated vending zones. Furthermore, despite a survey of 21,725 street vendors being conducted over six years ago, the civic body has neglected to provide a safe space for them to sell their goods and earn a livelihood.

With the Lok Sabha elections on the horizon, street vendors are advocating for their rights and the establishment of vending zones again. Highlighting fake promises made by politicians to address their concerns in the past, members of the Rehri Phari Federation lamented that no tangible action had been taken. They alleged that successive governments had failed to provide them their rights by establishing vending zones.

Vijay Kumar, vice-president of the federation said: “We have been demanding the establishment of vending zones as per the Street Vendors Act for 10 years. Instead of establishing the same, MC’s tehbazari wing only harasses the vendors by lifting their carts or equipment. The Act for the welfare of the street vendors was passed in 2014 but the MC, which was supposed to establish vending zones for the identified vendors, had failed to establish any vending zones to date.”

Kumar said: “Like in previous elections, vending zones are still our major demand even in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. We don’t want fake assurances from politicians, which are often made just before the elections and then nothing is done. We want our rights to be provided so that we can do business and earn a livelihood by following the rules.”

Another vendor said it was uncertain when MC’s tehbazari wing employees would come and lift carts and articles of vendors selling their products by the roadsides. In the absence of any designated vending zones, where should the vendors go? When the union has been demanding the same for nearly the past decade, the civic body has failed to take any concrete measures for their welfare. In fact, their carts and articles are often seized. They are unsure when the implementation of the Act for the vendors will be ensured, he added.

An audit report, prepared by the Indian Audit & Accounts Department, had earlier revealed wasteful expenditure of Rs 40.15 lakh attributed to the non-development of the street vending zones in the city. Notably, a company had completed the street vendor survey in December 2017 and had surveyed a total of 21,725 street vendors. The MC had made payment of Rs 40.15 lakh to the company up to November 2022. However, vending zones for the surveyed vendors were not established.

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