The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Implementation of National Policy on street vendors sought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 23, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Implementation of National Policy on street vendors sought

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: The National Street Vendor Day was observed on Friday to demand the implementation of the national policy on urban street vendors.

Around 150 representatives of the four southern States gathered to chalk out a campaign plan that would put the policy in election manifestos and public consciousness under the banner of the National Association of Street Vendors of India.

The National Policy, which was formed with the participation of street vendors, police personnel and local body administrators among others, recognises street vendors as playing a crucial role in delivering services in urban areas. It forbids the removal of hawkers and vendors in the name of "beautification" schemes and insists that they should be considered an integral part of the city and its economic life. The two-day deliberations on state-specific and national campaigns concluded on Saturday with various States presenting their resolutions. In Andhra Pradesh, the High Court issued a blanket ban on street vendors, which the campaign will contest in the Supreme Court. Karnataka and Kerala representatives announced plans to raise awareness through poster and leaflet campaigns and holding coordination meetings.

In Chennai alone, the Corporation estimates the number of street vendors to be around 77,000. Justice Kanagaraj had submitted detailed hawking zone committee recommendations on the state of the street vendors and possible relocation sites in early 2003.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail