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Delhi constituencies to get street vending panels in 2 months

Last Updated 01 June 2016, 04:26 IST

The Delhi government has decided to appoint town vending committees (TVC) in all 70 Assembly constituencies in the next 2 month for regulating street vendors, checking congestion and stopping “extortion” from vendors.

Each 30-member TVC will be headed by the zonal deputy commissioner of the municipal corporation, and include representatives of street vendors, market association and area residents.

It would identify legal vending zones and issue street vending licences. The total number of street vending licences issued in each Assembly constituency would not be more than 2 percent of the population.

Government sources said the New Delhi Municipal Council and the Delhi Cantonment Board have already set up their TVCs.

The 2 civic agencies’ TVCs will soon prepare guidelines for issuing licences. The exercise would involve officials from departments of health, revenue, food and supplies, labour, sanitation, police and traffic police.

The licence to operate on the streets would be issued to vendors only after assessing each location from the point of view of security, conservation, traffic situation, public order and the wishes of the local residents’ welfare association or the market association.

According Urban Development Department officials, the functioning of TVCs will be monitored by the state town vending committee headed by the principal secretary of the their department.

A TVC would notify popular zones with high demand among street vendors, and roster shall be followed for allowing use of such zones. Food sellers will need a licence from the health department of the civic agency, according to the government notification.

Public consultation

The NCT of Delhi Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of street vending) Scheme was released for public consultation a few months ago.

Under the proposed scheme, vendors will be divided into three categories: static vendors who sell their wares from the same location every day, weekly market vendors who move to a new location on each day of the week, and mobile vendors who do not occupy any public space.

The scheme suggests that depending upon the category of the colony in which the static street vendors operate the monthly rent to be collected from them may range from Rs 200 to Rs 5,000. The weekly market vendors have to pay between Rs 300 and Rs 2,500 a month and mobile vendors Rs 300 to Rs 750.

Each licence issued to a vendor would mention the zone and the time during which the licence-holder would be allowed to operate. The licence fee collected from vendors would be used for training and spreading awareness among street vendors, traders and residents.

Ahead of the Assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party promised that it would strive to stop “extortion” by local policemen and civic inspectors from street vendors who form the backbone of the informal sector, employing nearly 50 percent of the workforce in the city.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has often referred to Supreme Court decisions which bar any coercive steps against street vendors without formulating a rehabilitation plan for them.

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(Published 01 June 2016, 04:26 IST)

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