Bill in LS to protect rights of street vendors

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A bill to protect the rights of street vendors and regulate street vending activities was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid opposition uproar over coal block allocation.

The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja.

As per the provisions of the Bill, anyone over 14 years can register with the Town Vending Committee. The Committee will issue identity cards to vendors to carry out business in alloted vending zones.

The bill will also help the authorities to regulate hawking activities in public areas such as pavements and roads.

The Bill, pushed by Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC), is aimed at protecting livelihood rights and social security of street vendors and regulation of urban street vending in the country and ensuring uniformity in legal framework for street vending across states and UTs.

The measure also provides for setting up of vending zones for hawkers to sell their products with minimal restrictions and without fear of being fined by municipal authorities for vending in unauthorised areas.

The Bill seeks to empower local authorities to relocate street vendors if they cause nuisance or obstruct movement of general public after issuing a seven-day notice.

Every street vendor who fails to relocate or vacate the site alloted to him after the expiry of the notice period shall be liable to pay a daily penalty of up to Rs 500 as may be determined by the local authority.