The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Vegetable vendors left to ‘rot’

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Monday, Apr 06, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Vegetable vendors left to ‘rot’

D.V.L Padma Priya

‘We do not get bank loans and are virtually
non-existent except during polls’

HYDERABAD: For 75-year-old Jayamma, selling vegetables is her only source of livelihood. In the past few years, she has faced stiff competition from the mushrooming retail stores like Reliance, Fresh and Subhiksha. Many like her have put up with not just fluctuating weather and markets, but also increasing privatisation which directly hits their livelihood.

According to 2004 National Policy for Urban Street Vendors, roughly 2.5 per cent of every city’s population is engaged in vending on streets. This means that the segment could be a formidable force that the political parties might have to reckon with in the coming elections.

Promises not kept

The local legislators might have forgotten the promises that were made to them five years back, but they are still fresh in the minds of these vendors. “During the last elections, they promised that they would modernise the market and provide us better amenities. But it was one of their empty promises,” says a 60- year- old vendor at Secunderabad Monda Market.

Similar voices are heard at the Mozamjahi Market, the decades old ‘Fruit Market’ in the city. “All that we have seen in the past five years has been spiralling prices. We were promised a permanent place to sell and storage space, but we were forgotten after they got their votes,” says Hussain, a vendor.

Displacement from their original selling point too is a key issue for most vendors. “We are moved away from our original selling points. We are not recognised by the government nor do we get loans from the banks and are virtually invisible except during elections,” says Jagan Goud, a vendor at Bowenpally Vegetable Market.

Many feel that the government has failed in protecting their interests. “When other States could stop big retailers from entering our segment and protect the vegetable vendors, why couldn’t our government? They don’t care for us because they get higher ‘commissions’ from these players than from us poor vendors,” says an agitated Krishanaiah, a vendor at Bowenpally. They also want the government to do away with the rent system. “If we sell on the road, they evict us. And here we have to shell out rent apart from giving commission to others. Now, they are saying they want to move us into a ‘commercial complex’ and we have to shell out higher rents. Why should we pay rent to do our job?” asks Lakshmiamma.

“Whichever party comes to power, we will continue bribing the police, municipal authorities, local goons, etc,” says a cynical Neelamma, voicing the view of others like her.

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