Street Vendors provide valuable services to the urban population

By Vijay Kumar

Do you think hawkers are a nuisance? They found an unexpected supporter in Union Minister Selja. She says:-

• urban vending is not only the source of employment but also provides an affordable service to majority of urban population

• the role played by the hawkers in the economy as well as in the society needs to be given its due credit

• the hawkers are considered as unlawful entities and subjected to continuous harassment by police and civic authorities despite the Supreme Court observation that the small traders on the side walks can considerably add to the comfort and convenience of the general public by making available articles of everyday use at a lesser price

• Street Vendors provide valuable services to the urban population while trying to earn a livelihood and it is the duty of the State to protect the rights of this segment of population the police and municipal authorities look at hawkers as a nuisance, as encroacher and as a security risk.

• hawkers often live in unhygienic condition in slums and has no proper residential address nor identity which denies them access to formal sector finance and hence resort to borrowing from private money lenders at very high rates of interest

• The centre has made a beginning towards giving hawkers a more dignified life under National Policy on Urban Street Vendors

And did you think they were blocking traffic?