Street vendors of Kochi will get official approval for their business shortly.
In the first phase, 210 vendors of the Fort Kochi division will get their identity cards on Tuesday. The event will be held at 3 p.m.
The Kochi Corporation had earlier identified 1,989 street vendors after a citywide survey.
Though a Central legislation, Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, was passed in 2014, it took three years for the State to implement it. The act was passed for protecting the “livelihood rights and social security of urban street vendors in the country and thereby aid poverty alleviation efforts of the government,” according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
The Act also proposes a “congenial environment for the urban street vendors to carry out their activities without harassment from any quarter.”
“After the event at Fort Kochi, ID cards will be issued for the remaining identified street vendors. It may take a week for the process to be completed,” said A.B. Sabu, chairman of the Welfare Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation.
The biggest challenge before the civic body in implementing the provisions of the Act is the identification of vending zones for traders. “Vending zones will have to be identified in each division,” said Mr. Sabu.
“Allotment of zones for street vendors without obstructing passages is also a challenging task before the civic authority,” he said.
T.B. Mini, State president of the Kerala Samsthana Cherukida Vyapara Sanghadana (TUCI), demanded immediate allocation of trade zones and utilisation of funds for the welfare of vendors.
“While identifying zones, priority should be given to areas that assure business to vendors. Also, care should be taken to ensure that free movement of pedestrians is not hindered by traders,” she said.
