4 years on, policy for street vendors yet to see light of day

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 16

A policy announced for the welfare of street vendors in 2014 is yet to see the light of day. In fact, a survey was conducted in two years in this regard under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.

Besides, videography of vendors was done and payments of lakhs were made to the firm hired to carry out the work, but to no avail.

Almost four years have passed since its announcement, the policy is yet to be implemented due to the lackadaisical approach of the Tehbazari Department.

The private company, which was given the contract, had completed the survey in 2017 in which more than 12,000 street vendors were registered in the city and 38 zones were identified.

According to a rough estimate, the company has been given Rs50, 00,000 by the civic body — Rs300 per vendor i.e. Rs300 X 12,000= Rs36 lakh, besides other charges.

Since then in the name of “work”, the department has selected six zones where a pilot project is yet to start. It took the Tehbazari Department more than a year to select the zones.

But, the project has not got approval and various objections were raised by the Local Bodies Department due to some technical problems in it.

The Detail Project Report (DPR) and Detailed Implement Plan (DIP) are yet to be made. These carry the details of infrastructure, number of vendors to be incorporated in all 38 zones and requirement of total funds. The report and plan will be submitted to the government.

Thereafter, identity cards will be issued to the vendors. But it doesn’t seem to be completed in near future.

According to the Act, videography of street vendors is necessary to identify them and their places of work so that vending zones or places could be demarcated to help them earn their livelihood.

Mandeep Singh, superintendent, Tehbazari Department, said the company carried out a wrong survey and instead of 12,000 vendors, there were 7,000-8,000 vendors in the district. He said the department had an income of Rs18lakh per month.

If the Act is implemented properly, the civic body will have an income of more than Rs1 crore every month from vendors, if the fee is fixed RsRs 1,000 per vendor.

VV Anthony, general secretary, Rehri-Fadi Khokha Union, which is heading street vendors in the district, said, “Officials take money from vendors. Where does that money go? They do not have any record of the money.”

Union members said the Tehbazari Department did not want the project to be implemented for vendors because it would affect their “extra income” if all of them get licences.

The Rehri-Fadi Khokha Union had also approached the High Court against the alleged ill-treatment being given to vendors by the Municipal Corporation, following which the HC took a notice of the matter. It had served a notice on the MC Commissioner in 2016.

Mayor Jagdish Raja, when contacted, said steps were being taken to implement the policy soon.

While confirming, Raja said the civic body would get Rs1 crore from vendors per month if the policy was implemented.