There is some good news for street vendors. The Centre is working to launch a scheme in the coming 12th Five-Year Plan period to facilitate street vending.
The scheme will have provisions for supporting development of vendor markets and vending zones, registration of street vendors, and facilitation of access to credit, besides demarcation of vending spaces.
Announcing this on Friday, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja said the government was keen to create a supportive environment for street vendors and ensure that vending activities did not lead to overcrowding and unhygienic conditions.
She made the announcement at a consultation organised by her Ministry on the contours of a possible Central legislation on street vending to help mainstream street vending as a recognised, managed and productive profession.
Noting that street vendors had a prominent place in the urban supply chain and were an integral part of the economic growth process in urban areas, she regretted that governments at all levels had so far failed to provide a harassment-free atmosphere to conduct their business.
Her Ministry has been toying with the idea of a legislation in the wake of poor response from the States to a model Bill drafted by it on the subject in 2009. The meeting was attended by officials of governments and NGOs, including Harsh Mander, Member, National Advisory Council, and National Convener of the Association of Street Vendors of India, Arbind Singh.
