Relief for street vendors

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 11

Providing a major relief to street vendors, who used to be challaned almost on a daily basis by the enforcement wing of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, the law officer of the civic body, in a legal opinion, has stated that the street vendors Act forbids any kind of action against them.

Recently, MC officials had sought a legal opinion on whether the civic body can issue a challan against street vendors. The opinion was sought as the civic body has started an exercise to implement the Act.

After the law officer’s report, MC Commissioner B Purushartha has sent a communication in this regard to the UT Home Secretary-cum-Secretary, Local Self Government, for a final decision.

A senior UT official said they had received a communication from the MC office and a decision would be taken soon.

“The decision will be conveyed to the Municipal Corporation at the earliest,” the UT official said.

The law officer’s report says, “Section 3 (3) of the Act provides that no street vendor shall be evicted or, as the case may be, relocated till the survey has been completed and the certificate of vending is issued to all street vendors.” However, at present the enforcement wing of the MC and the UT Administration are taking action, including challans, eviction and seizure of goods, against street vendors.

Targets were set forcivic body inspectors

On January 15, the MC, for the first time, had fixed daily targets for MC enforcement inspectors and sub-inspectors in terms of challans and imposition of fine. According to the orders issued by MC Commissioner B Purushartha, the MC enforcement wing was asked to issue 350 challans daily and recover a fine of Rs 1,22,500 per day. The MC sub-inspectors were given a target of issuing challans ranging from 10 to 20. Similarly, the daily fine target ranged from Rs 3,500 to Rs 7,000.

Vending panel: MC to decide poll date today

On Friday, the MC General House will decide the date for the election of members of the Town Vending Committee as per provision of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. An agenda in this regard will come up for discussion in the coming MC House meeting. According to the Act, the committee will have 12 members, five of whom will be elected from among vendors.