Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014
02.05.2024
Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014
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For Prelims: About Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, Significance of Street Vendors in the Indian Society, Provisions of the Law, Challenges Faced in the Implementation of the Law |
Why in the news?
A decade has passed since the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act came into effect on May 1, 2014.
About Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014:
- It was enacted in order to legalize the vending rights of street vendors (SVs).
- It aimed to protect and regulate street vending in cities, with State-level rules and schemes, and execution by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) through by-laws, planning, and regulation.
- The Act clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of both vendors and various levels of government.
- It commits to accommodating all ‘existing’ vendors in vending zones and issuing vending certificates (VCs).
- It establishes a participatory governance structure through Town Vending Committees (TVCs).
○It mandates that street vendor representatives must constitute 40% of TVC members, with a sub-representation of 33% of women SVs.
○These committees are tasked with ensuring the inclusion of all existing vendors in vending zones.
- Additionally, the Act outlines mechanisms for addressing grievances and disputes, proposing the establishment of a Grievance Redressal Committee chaired by a civil judge or judicial magistrate.
- It provides that the States/ULBs conduct a survey to identify SVs at least once every five years.
What is the Significance of Street Vendors in the Indian Society?
- Street vendors, estimated to constitute 2.5% of any city’s population, play multifaceted roles in city life.
- They (like the vegetable sellers, food vendors) are essential providers of daily services.
- They are also integral to Indian culture imagine Mumbai without its vada pav or Chennai without its roadside dosa.
What are the Provisions of the Law?
- It recognises the positive urban role of vendors and the need for livelihood protection.
- It commits to accommodating all ‘existing’ vendors in vending zones and issuing vending certificates.
- The Act establishes a participatory governance structure through Town Vending Committees (TVCs) and establishes a Grievance Redressal Committee chaired by a civil judge or judicial magistrate.
What are the Challenges Faced in the Implementation of the Law?
- At the administrative level, there has been a noticeable increase in harassment and evictions of street vendors.
- At the governance level, the Act does not integrate well with the framework established by the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act for urban governance.
- At the societal level, the prevailing image of the world class city tends to be exclusionary, marginalizing and stigmatizing street vendors as obstacles to urban development.
Source:The Hindu