Wednesday, August 12, 2015

PROTECTION OF THE STREET VENDORS Act

A MUCH DELAYED LEGISLATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE STREET VENDORS
Street vendors have always been an integral part of a city.  They are found outside schools, colleges, historical monuments, subways, government buildings, bus stops and even malls in their temporary static structure or mobile stalls. Street vending is not only a source of self-employment to the poor in cities but also is a means for affordable and convenient services to a majority of the urban population.
Street vendors form a very important segment of the unorganized sector in our country. It is estimated that in several cities street vendors count for about 2 per cent of the population. Women constitute a large segment of these street vendors in almost every city.  The irony is that despite catering to the needs of a large number of people, the street vendors have to regularly bear the brunt of police harassment and mistreatment at the hands of various municipal authorities. For curbing the harassment faced by the Street vendors the LokSabha on 6 September 2013 passed the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012.
According to the bill any person above 14 years of age who intends to undertake street vending activity may register with the Town Vending Committee (TVC). The TVC shall issue a vending certificate. Only those persons with a vending certificate are permitted to work as street vendors. Every street vendor has the right to undertake vending activities in the vending zone for the time period specified in the certificate.
The bill further states that every local authority shall in consultation with the planning authority prepare a street vending plan once in every five years. The plan shall determine spatial vending zones as well as changes required for accommodating existing and future street vendors.
Problems faced by the street vendors
The street vendors’ markets present various colors but underneath the shine lay the discontent and anguish. These vendors contribute significantly to the urban distribution system, but in return face humiliation, harassment and confiscation threats from police officers and inspectors from the local governing bodies. Municipal authorities frequently demand bribes from vendors.
The most pressing and ongoing risk for many street vendors is the possibility that the local government authorities will forcibly evict them from the streets or confiscate their merchandise. This risk of displacement often increases in the context of elections, mega-events or efforts to beautify city centers; the eviction and displacement of street vendors during the 2010 Commonwealth Games is a testament to this harsh reality. Female street vendors face heightened risks when they operate in insecure or illegal spaces.
The problems of street vendors are further compounded by the fact that vendors have very little access to social welfare schemes. Since street vendors spend the majority of their working time on open roads, they are vulnerable to different types of diseases like migraines, hyper-acidity, hypertension and high blood pressure due to pollution. The lack of toilets has an adverse effect on women’s health and many suffer from urinary tract infections and kidney ailments.
What the bill aims to do
The bill aims to protect the livelihood rights of street vendors and  to regulate street vending through demarcation of vending zones,  conditions for and restrictions on street vending. A street vendor shall not be prevented from exercising his right by any person, police or any authority under any other law
Street vendors who have a grievance can appeal to a dispute redressal committee constituted by the local authority. The committee shall consist of one sub judge/judicial magistrate or an executive magistrate and other persons experienced in street vending and natural markets. The committee has to redress the grievance within the time period specified in the scheme. An appeal against the decision of the committee shall lie with the local authority.
Role of TVCs and the state government
TVCs will be constituted in each local authority, zone or ward. Besides issuing the certificates the TVC will also specify the time limit for issue and renewal of registration and vending certificate. It will keep the records of street vendors including the stall allotted for vending, category of vending and the business carried out.  The TVC will have a wide representation. It will comprise of  the municipal commissioner;  representatives of street vendors (at least 40 per cent of the TVC, of which one-third are women); and representatives of the local authority, planning authority, local police, traffic police, resident welfare associations, banks, and other traders associations. The Bill also requires the representation of SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities and disabled persons in the TVC.
On the other hand the state government shall frame a street vending scheme to specify the criteria and process for registration and issue of vending certificate, eviction and relocation of street vendors and the manner of confiscation of goods in case of violation of terms of vending, criteria for disposal of appeals and principles for determining vending zones.
The local authority may evict the street vendor, if he consistently fails to comply with the provisions of the Bill. The goods of the vendors may also be confiscated in the manner specified in the street vending scheme. 
The local authority can relocate the street vendors for creating public nuisance or for obstructing public movement. In this case the street vendor shall be entitled to a new vending site. The local authority shall give seven days’ notice to the street vendor before relocating or evicting him. A maximum penalty of Rs 2000 may be imposed on a street vendor if he vends without a vending certificate, beyond the designated zone or specified timings; or violates the terms of the vending certificate or any other provisions of the bill. The penalty will be decided by the local authority.
Shortcomings of the Bill
The Bill requires the street vending plan to be framed by the local authority in consultation with the planning authority. The Bill does not require the stakeholders to be consulted in the formulation of the street vending plan. This could lead to a lack of safeguards in ensuring that the plan is determined in a fair manner. The TVC with wider representation is also not being consulted while framing the street vending plan.
The Bill does not specify the principles to be considered by local authorities in issuing vending certificates, allocating vending zones and determining the number of vendors per zone, or the public purpose for which vendors may be relocated. Absence of such norms to address competing objectives of the Bill could defeat the purpose of enacting a law to ensure uniformity in the legal framework.
It is not clear whether there are adequate safeguards in ensuring that the plan is effective and that vending zones are decided in a fair and transparent manner.
The current Bill also differs with state laws on the mechanism for dispute resolution, TVC’s power to identify and designate vending zones and determine the vending capacity of each zone.
The Standing Committee also suggested making the Bill applicable to the Railways and consultation with the TVC on the vending plan.
Conclusion
In regulating urban street vending activities, the Bill aims to balance three key objectives: securing the right to livelihood of street vendors, ensuring congestion free public spaces and streets, and convenience of vending services for customers.
The Bill provides a broad framework for registration of street vendors, grounds for relocation, eviction and confiscation of goods, functions of the local authority and Town Vending Committee, and a grievance redressal mechanism.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill says the law is proposed for “ensuring uniformity in the legal framework across states and union territories”. The big question is that the bill should not make street vendors victims of 'license raj' and must try to remove all bottlenecks in the way of proper implementation of the measure to provide social security to them.


QUESTION that can be formed on the present article:
·         The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012 is an encroachment of the powers of the state by the center. Comment?
·         The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012 provides is just a makeover of the the Model Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill passed in 2009. Critically analyze the statement?
·         What are the shortcomings of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012?
·         Write a short note on Town Vending Committee (TVC)?
References
·         http://www.prsindia.org/
·         http://www.hindu.com/

Name – Ankit Agarwal



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