MC identifies 7 vending zones in Parwanoo

The Parwanoo Municipal Council (MC) has identified and notified seven vending zones in various parts of the town to allow street vendors to operate there. These zones comprise the drainage area near the Sirmaur Chowk in Sector 1, Rehri market in Sector 1, area near the HRTC workshop in Sector 1, near Home Sons building and Khanna Watches, area behind the market in Sector 4, area near Block number 17 and 18 in Sector 4 and the area near Kamal Enterprises in Sector 2.

Providing an authorised area to the street vendors ensures that they do not obstruct traffic by operating in locations that face traffic hassles.

The vendors will be permitted to sell their wares at these notified areas. Being a border town, Parwanoo witnesses a huge influx of migrants from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar etc. While several of them have been residing here since many years and have registered with the local civic body, their number increases every year.

Ever since the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, aimed at protecting the rights of street vendors and regulating street vending activities in urban areas came into effect, the urban local bodies were to notify specific areas for them.

These sites are selected on the recommendations of the town vending committee and comprise areas like sidewalks, pavements, embankments, portions of a street, waiting area for public or any other appropriate space where there is no obstruction to traffic.

Kasauli SDM Mahinder Pratap says that efforts are also afoot to bring them under the Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), a special micro-credit facility for street vendors that provides free collateral working capital loans.