Search on for vendors? zone

THE LUCKNOW Municipal Corporation has started searching for a vendors’ zone here after the decision of the government to implement the National Policy for Street Vendors.

The National Association of  Street Vendors of India    (NASVI) has taken keen interest in the implementation of (NPSV) in the city. Additional municipal commissioner AC Sinha said the LMC would consult the street vendors before taking a final decision.

“We have started the exercise of surveying the city for the creation of vendors’ zone. But in some zones, there may be more than one zone as per the requirements,”  he said.

The selection of vendors’ zone was going to prove a big problem for the officials, admitted Sinha and added, “ All the open space in the city has already been sold out or is encroached. Identifying space in Aminabad, Alambagh, Hazratganj, Chowk, Thakurganj  and many Old City areas will be a problem.”

In the new system, all the vendors will be allowed to enroll themselves with the LMC. A card will be issued to the vendors, mentioning the trade which they are engaged in. The card will also carry the space occupied by him in the zone, his residential address, identity mark, phone number, if any, and his payments to the LMC.

The card system could lead to the increase in the income of the LMC, which has been badly hit after the gag on tehbazari by the State government. “ We are incurring a loss of Rs 3 crore per year due to the scrapping of tehbazari system and we hope to gain by the card system if the policy is cleared by the State cabinet soon,” said Sinha.

On the other hand, the NASVI has already met Principal Secretary Urban Development AK Verma with their set of demands and discussed some clauses in the State GO. National coordinator of NASVI Arvind Singh came all the  way from Hyderabad to participate in the talks with the officials.

The street vendors want some change in the GO as it allows the space of only 1X1 metre per street vendor. They  have demanded that the area be increased up to 3x2 metres.

The NASVI have asked for the  collection of taxes directly by the LMC without any mediators. The street vendors are not comfortable with the ban on cooking at the vending zone. “ Where will the small time tea stalls, eateries go if the vendors are not allowed to cook?