Agencies targeting us, depriving us of livelihood on the basis of flawed report: Street vendors

 As per reports, the government and the civic agencies have decided to take action against vendors who prepare and sell eatables on their roadside outlets. This action is based on a report, which according to vendors, is itself controversial. But, despite the vendors’ protest, the agencies have started taking action against them and have evicted some of them even from their workplaces.

According to these vendors, the government bodies’ intentions seem to be to deprive Delhi’s street food lovers of their rights to enjoy delicacies at cheaper and affordable prices. If it at all materialises, then even for snacks like the quintessential <g data-gr-id="46">chole</g>-<g data-gr-id="43">bhatures</g>, samosas, <g data-gr-id="44">pakodas</g>, <g data-gr-id="45">tikkis</g>, chat, tea and several other items, the consumers would have to go to expensive malls which are beyond the reach of a common man. 

It would also be promoting <g data-gr-id="47">mall-culture</g> in the Capital, the majority of which comprises middle-class citizens who can hardly afford their favourite street foods in expensive malls.

The vendors also challenge the report, on which, this action has been taken: “The so-called report is said to be prepared by Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition <g data-gr-id="28">shows</g> high volume of E. coli bacteria, which can cause severe infections in these snacks.” 

However, the principal of the institute categorically denies any such report and study being done by them. “Is this not harassment of vendors that would ultimately affect the street food lovers of the national Capital? Since the Municipal Corporations are not finding it easy to evict the vendors from their workplace after the passage of Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014, they are looking for other means to harass them,” said Ramprakash, a vendor of Delhi Gate area.

A PIL, filed in 2012 by RWA of a particular area, is still under judicial process but the <g data-gr-id="31">vendors as well as consumers</g> have started feeling the heat as the vendors are being harassed even when a hearing regarding the PIL is on. 

In a recent development, street vendors of Sarai Kale Khan were forcibly evicted from their place of work. 

Reacting to their plight, co-ordinator of National Association of Street Vendors of India (<g data-gr-id="39">NASVI</g>) Arbind Singh said: “A year has passed since the commencement of the Street Vending Act <g data-gr-id="37">2014</g> but it has still not been implemented by the concerned authorities. Apart from this, a high court judgment delivered in August last year favouring street food vendors, is also not being implemented. 

“In such a case, action on a PIL whose hearing is still on, it is nothing but discrimination of Fundamental Rights of street food vendors. We strongly condemn it and urge the concerned authorities to stop it with immediate effect.”