Street vendors demand rights protection

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Millions of people under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palika (BBMP) have turned to street trading as their primary source of livelihood, supporting their families for years.

However, in a recent development, BBMP officials have initiated a crackdown on street vendors throughout the city, disregarding both legal statutes and court orders.

In response to these actions, thousands of street vendors gathered early Tuesday morning at the BBMP headquarters to stage a protest.

Representatives from various markets, including Vijayanagar, Shivajinagar, Jayanagar, Banashankari, Sarakki, Koramangala, Prazer Town, Malleswaram, Gandhinagar, Peenya Dasarahalli, Gandhi Bazar, and others, converged at the BBMP office to voice their concerns.

The protest, which saw participants from markets across the city such as Vijayanagar, Shivajinagar, Jayanagar, Banashankari, and others, highlighted the vendors' frustration with BBMP's crackdown.

Street vendors argue that their constitutional right to engage in street trading is protected by the Protection and Regulation of Livelihood of Street Vendors Act, of 2014.

S. Babu, the president of the Bengaluru District Street Vendor Federation, emphasised that court judgments have consistently upheld the rights of street vendors. P.P. Appanna, secretary of the association, revealed that BBMP's failure to conduct a survey of street vendors for the past five years has left more than 1.5 lakh street vendors in Bengaluru without valid identity cards and business certificates.

The vendors demand immediate action to resume business in areas like Jayanagar and compensation for the losses suffered during the crackdown.

BBMP Special Commissioner Babushekhar Reddy assured the protesters that a meeting with the BBMP commissioner would be scheduled to address their concerns.

This includes conducting a survey of street vendors, renewing expired identity cards and business certificates, and discussing the issue of stall placement. Syed Zameer, joint secretary of the association, emphasised the vital role played by street vendors in sustaining the city's working class.

He questioned the difficulty faced by the government and affluent individuals in understanding the significance of street vending for the middle class and poor citizens.

The street vendors presented a list of claims, including the immediate resumption of business in specific areas, a town trade committee-led survey, and the renewal of identity cards.

They underscored the importance of involving vendors' organisations in the survey process.