Street vendors affiliated to All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) protested outside the Collectorate here on Monday pressing for their demands, including conducting elections to the town vending committee.
Vendors staged a demonstration demanding that the town vending committee be formed under the supervision of the Collector and the Corporation Commissioner and with adequate representation given to the vendors. “The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, provides for the constitution of town vending committees that look into the matters of street vendors. However, 15 members will form the committee but only six members are from the vendors’ association. How will our voices be heard? The other members, including corporation officials, police and revenue department officials will side with big businesses and harass us some more,” said A. Ansaruddin, district secretary, Platform Vendors Association, AITUC.
The Street Vendors Act was formed after continued protests across the country. However, in Tamil Nadu, nobody is abiding by the law, claimed Mr. Ansaruddin. “We are asked to set up shops in areas were there are no people. Do you think customers will come in search of street vendors? We set up shop outside big commercial establishments so that customers visiting those stores can also take a look at ours,” Mr. Ansaruddin said.
