New Delhi: The National Advisory Council is
expected to make suggestions on the issue of having a central
legislation to protect the livelihood of over one crore street
vendors across the country.
The advisory panel, headed by UPA Chairperson Sonia
Gandhi, is understood to be examining the Model Street Vendors
(Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending)
Bill in this regard.
The Government had earlier favoured that states take the
responsibility for effective implementation of the National
Policy on Urban Street Vendors contending that a central
legislation in this regard may not be effective.
In a communication to the NAC, the National Association of
Street Vendors of India (NASVI) had contended that if
protection of street vending was left to the states it was
unlikely that they would enact a legislation.
They said the first policy on street vendors was
formulated in 2004 and still such persons were being harassed
and evicted mercilessly in all urban areas.
"The national law can give the policy a logical conclusion
which has to be implemented at the ground level," it said,
adding that the model bill proposed by the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) fell short of the
aspirations of the street vendors.
The NAC had sought details on the policy from HUPA
following communication from NASVI.
It said that HUPA had circulated the draft bill in this
regard to all the state government and many of them had also
prepared draft legislations.
The ministry said it would continue to vigorously pursue
with states the implementation of the national policy on
street vendors and has welcomed suggestions from the NAC to
sharpen the spotlight on the matter.
PTI
