Parliament nod to bill to protect rights of street vendors

February 23, 2014

Parliament passed “Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) bill-2014” to regulate street vending activities and protect the rights of urban street vendors besides ensuring steps against harassment by police and civic authorities. The Rajya Sabha adopted the bill by a voice vote and without discussion. (the bill was already passed by Lok Sabha).
Excerpts of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) bill-2014

Objective: To protect the rights of urban street vendors and regulating street vending activities and to create conducive atmosphere where street vendors will be eligible to carry out their business in a fair and transparent manner, without fear of eviction and harassment.
Legalizes street vending activities to ensure urban street vendors’ safety from police harassment.
Propose: To set up Town Vending Committees (TVC), which will be responsible for deciding vending zones and the number of vendors that each zone should have.
Provides protection of livelihoods rights, social security of street vendors, regulation of urban street vending in the country and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Provides time-bound release of seized goods, for both perishable and non-perishable goods
There is a provision for establishment of an independent dispute redressal mechanism under the chairmanship of retired judicial officers to maintain impartiality towards grievance redressal of street vendors.
In order to avoid uncertainty of authorities, the Bill provides for a survey of all existing street vendors, and subsequent survey at-least once in every five years, and issue of certificate of vending to all the street vendors identified in the survey, with preference to SC, ST, OBC, women, persons with disabilities, minorities etc.
As per Section 29 of the Bill street vendors will be protected from harassment by police and other authorities and there is a prime clause to ensure they carry on their business without the fear of harassment by the authorities under any other law.
To prevent delay in implementation, the bill provides that the Rules under the Bill have to be notified within one year of its commencement, and Scheme has to be notified within six months of its commencement.

Note: The Parliament also passed two other bills: Governors Emoluments, (Allowances and Privileges) Amendment and National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment). These two bills were also approved by the Rajya Sabha without discussion after these were adopted by the Lok Sabha.

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