Street vendors’ union demands end to eviction drive in Shimla

The Street Vendors and Hawkers’ Union today staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office against the alleged manhandling of street vendors as well as the ongoing eviction drive.

Seeking immediate halt to the drive, the union also demanded implementation of the Street Vendors Act 2014. The Union, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), also demanded FIR against those responsible for the alleged assault on a street vendor whose arm was broken.

They marched towards the Municipal Corporation’s office and staged a one-hour sit-in on the premises of Joint Commissioner’s office.

Addressing the protesters, Vijender Mehra, state president of CITU, alleged that for the past six months, street vendors from across the town are being evicted without being allotted alternative places, which is a direct violation of the Street Vendors Act 2014.

“The street vendors are being regularly harassed as the authorities confiscate their goods and also impose fine of Rs 1,000 per day,” he added. The authorities should not harass any vendor on the pretext of a survey, he added.

“The street vendors are being harassed by demanding multiple documents and affidavits under the guise of a Cabinet sub-committee, which again is a violation of the Act as well as the directions of the Supreme Court. It is not right to demand multiple documents from the vendors when everything cross the country is linked to Aadhaar,” he said.

The street vendors threatened the Municipal Corporation with a massive movement if it continued with the eviction drive.