BBMP starts distributing IDs to vendors

The BBMP has started issuing identity cards to street vendors to put an end to alleged harassment by the corporation authorities and the police.

The civic body had conducted a survey and identified 24,678 street vendors. The BBMP aims to distribute the identity cards in a phased manner.

"So far, we have distributed 4,181 identity cards. As many as 15,736 cards were printed and they will be distributed in a phased manner to all the street vendors surveyed by the BBMP," said Abdul Raqueeb Zakir, chairman of the social justice standing committee, BBMP.

"The civic body has dedicated a Rs 2-crore fund for the development of street vendors. After distributing the cards to those identified now, we will take up another survey to identify the remaining street vendors. We are also giving the vendors a box to carry their belongings," he added.

The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, was passed three years ago, under which the vendors are provided identity cards.