(a) Whether the Government proposes to enact a legislation on street
vendors ;
(b) If so, the salient features thereof ;
(c)Whether the urban vendors are facing impediments to earn their livelihood
due to modernisation drive ;
(d) If so, whether the Government proposes to take steps to eradicate their
problem; and
(e) If so, the details thereof ?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING & URBAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION(KUMARI SELJA)
(a)&(b): Street vending is a State subject. Central Government does not have the
mandate to enact legislation on street vending.
(c) : Urban Street Vendors face problems such as forced evictions by the local
and police authorities, lack of basic amenities like public toilets, drinking water,
electricity, solid waste disposal, storage facility for their wares.
(d)&(e) : Even though the street vending is state subject, this Ministry formulated
National Policy on Urban Street Vendors in January, 2004 in order to provide and
promote a supportive environment to the street vendors for earning livelihoods,
as well as to ensure absence of congestion and maintenance of hygiene in public
spaces and streets and circulated the Policy to all the States/UTs for appropriate
adoption to suit local conditions and also respecting court decisions, if any.
The salient feature of the National Policy on Urban Street Vendors are annexed.
ANNEXURE
Annexure referred to in reply to Lok Sabha USQ No.2498 for 8.12.2006
SALIENT FEATURES OF THE NATIONAL POLICY FOR URBAN
STREET VENDORS.
This Policy aims to ensure that Urban Street Vendors, an important segment of the
urban population, find recognition for their contribution to society and is conceived
of as a major initiative for urban poverty alleviation by provision of and support to
dignified livelihood. The basic objectives of the Policy are:
To give vendors legal status by amending, enacting, repealing and implementing
appropriate laws and providing legitimate hawking zones in urban development/
zoning plans.
To provide facilities for appropriate use of identified space including the creation of
hawking zones in the urban development/zoning plans.
To eschew imposing numerical limits on access to public spaces by discretionary
licenses and instead moving to nominal fee-based regulation of access.Where
market forces like price, quality and demand will determine the number of vendors
that can be sustained. Such a demand cannot be unlimited.
To make Street vendors a special component of the urban development/zoning
plans by treating them as an integral and legitimate part of the urban distribution
system.
To promote self-compliance amongst Street vendors.
To promote organizations of Street vendors e.g. Unions/Co-operatives/Associations
and other forms of organization to facilitate their empowerment.
To set up participatory mechanisms with representation by urban vendors` organizations
(Unions/Co-operatives/Associations), Voluntary organizations, local authorities, the police,
Residents Welfare Association (RWA) and others for orderly conduct of urban vending
activities.
To take measures for promoting a better future for child vendors by making appropriate
interventions for their rehabilitation and schooling.
To facilitate/promote social security (pension, insurance etc.) and access to credit for
Street vendors through promotion of SHGs/co-operatives/ Federations/Micro-Finance
Institutions (MFIs) etc.