Allot alternative site before evicting us: Ludhiana Street vendors

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 13

Fearing action from the Municipal Corporation (MC), street vendors in the city have demanded that the government should first set up vending zones for them instead of taking any adverse step.

We are going to make temporary vending zones at identified sites. Vendors can anytime contact the superintendents concerned for more details about these sites. — Neeraj Jain, Zonal Commissioner, MC

As per the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, the MC is supposed to set up vending zones for vendors. But, the authorities have not done anything in the past five years.

Raising questions over the police and the MC’s plan to conduct anti-encroachment drive at this time of crisis, the vendors said they are already struggling to meet their daily needs amid rising Covid-19 cases.

The vendors’ union expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s indifferent attitude and reminded the administration that they are same street vendors who had assured door-to-door delivery of fruits and vegetables during the curfew. “Now, the street vendors are being ignored. The police and the MC are planning to snatch their livelihood. The vendors are being asked to do not station their carts for next three months. It is totally wrong as not even a single vending zone has been setup for the vendors as per the rules,” said Bal Krishan Pappi, president, Rehri Phari Union, Punjab.

“The vendors should not be displaced. If any drive is conducted against them, we will oppose it. Many of street vendors have already gone to their home states and those who are earning their livelihood here are following the social distancing rules,” he added.

Tiger Singh, president, Rehri Phari Federation, said, “Around 50 per cent street vendors have already left for their home states, including UP, Bihar and others. Those who have stayed back would be forced to go back to their home states if the authorities take action against them at this time of crisis. We appeal to the government to direct the authorities concerned to set up vending zones for us,” he added.

MC’s Zonal Commissioner Neeraj Jain, “We are going to make temporary vending zones at identified sites. The vendors can contact the superintendents concerned for more details about the identified sites.”

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