‘I-cards for street vendors after civic budget’

Outcome of first meeting with civic officials on Monday

Bengaluru is estimated to have about 1.5 lakh street vendors.

The end of harassment, eviction and creation of safe vending zones could be on the offing.

At least, that is the hope after Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) held its first-ever meeting with street vendors on Monday since passing of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.

While the draft rules of the Act are yet to be notified, officials said city, zone and ward-wise committees would be set up.

“A five-member ward committee comprising BBMP revenue officers, local councillors, police and representatives of street vendors will be formed to distribute ID cards to all street vendors. This will be done within a month of the budget,” said Mayor G. Padmavathi, who chaired the meeting.

The city has about 1.5 lakh street vendors. The committee would ensure there will not be crowding of vendors in one area or along footpaths. The identification of vending zones will begin as soon as the survey of street vendors ends, she said at the meeting.

BBMP had last given licences to street vendors nearly 17 years ago. In 2014, the civic body had claimed to have given ID cards to 6,100 vendors.

Vendors raised several complaints at Monday’s meeting. Rangaswamy C.E. from the Federation of Bruhat Bengaluru Street Vendors’ Associations said numerous street vendors had been evicted from Koramangala, HSR Layout, Rajajinagar and other places while harassment by police continues.

Activist Vinay Sreenivas said vendors suffered due to a lack of toilets and godowns to safely store their carts.