Question : National Policy for Urban Street Vendors

(a) whether there is a ‘National Policy for Urban Street Vendors’ which is being implemented in the country and if so, the salient features thereof;

(b) the status of its implementation in the country including Odisha, especially Bhubaneswar city;

(c) whether there are Town Vending Committees in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Khurda and Jatni Municipality for the implementation of said policy and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the monitoring mechanism for overseeing the implementation of the policy in the country including Odisha?

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

[SHRI HARDEEP SINGH PURI]

(a): The Government has enacted the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.It is applicable to all States/UTs, except for State of Jammu & Kashmir and also any land, premises and trains owned and controlled by the Railways under the Railway Act, 1989.The provisions contained in the Act, inter-alia ,include survey of street vendors and protection from eviction and relocation; issue of certificate of vending; laying down rights of street vendors; mechanism for redressal of grievances; preparation of plan of street vending; constitution of town vending committees; and prevention of harassment of street vendors.

(b): Rules under the Act have been notified by 33 States/UTs including Odisha and Scheme has been notified by 25 States/UTs including Odisha. The State of Meghalaya has its own Street Vendors Act, 2014.Rules and Schemes notified by Odisha are applicable for the entire State including Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

(c): In Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Town Vending Committee has been constituted on 28.12.2012 and reconstituted on 07.08.2014. Further, TVCs have also been constituted in Khurda and Jatni Municipalities on 17.07.2017 and 26.02.2018, respectively.

(d): As the Act is to be implemented by respective states, for carrying out the provisions of the Act, the States notify their respective Rules and Schemes which are laid on the table of house of their legislature.

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