Govt notifies street vendor plan in 63 urban local bodies

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 20 

After initial hiccups, the Local Government Department has notified the street vendor plan under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vendors) Act, 2014, in at least 63 of the 167 urban local bodies (ULBs) across the state. 

Around 87,000 street vendors have been found eligible for licences and rehabilitation in the demarcated vending zones in different civic bodies.  As the department is relying on surveys carried by respective ULBs in 2016 and 2017, the total tally of the beneficiaries is expected to go up as the civic bodies have to conduct a survey every five years. 

Officials said 21,725 mobile and stationary vendors were identified by the Ludhiana MC, whereas the actual figure was nearly 30,000. In case of the Mohali MC, the survey had identified 990 vendors, whereas the figure was around 1,300. 

The registered vendors are being given smart cards containing biometric data, licences and certificates. The plan envisages demarcating vending zones, wherein the stationary street vendors would be provided space on a monthly fee to be charged on the basis of category of the municipal corporation or council or nagar panchayat.

A government functionary said after the notification of the street vendor plan, at least 18 ULBs have submitted their detailed project reports for raising the infrastructure in the vending zones that would have arrangement for toilets and drinking water for vendors, besides ensuring that the area allotted to them was easily accessible to customers.

Local Bodies Minister Brahm Mohindra said beginning with Amritsar, the department was moving ahead to finalise the plan in all ULBs.

87,000 eligible 

Around 87,000 street vendors have been found eligible for licences and rehabilitation in the demarcated vending zones in different civic bodies. As the department is relying on surveys carried by respective ULBs in 2016 and 2017, the total tally of the beneficiaries is expected to go up as the civic bodies have to conduct a survey every five years.