Uttar Pradesh
Implementing the Street Vendors Act 2014
- 03 May 2024
- 3 min read
Why in News?
A decade has passed since the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 came into effect on 1st May 2014, marking a significant milestone after nearly four decades of legal jurisprudence and the tireless efforts of street vendor movements across India.
Key Points
- The Act was enacted in order to legalise the vending rights of street vendors (SVs).
- It aimed to protect and regulate street vending in cities, with State-level rules and schemes, and execution by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) through by-laws, planning, and regulation.
- The Act clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of both vendors and various levels of government.
- It commits to accommodating all ‘existing’ vendors in vending zones and issuing vending certificates (VCs).
- The Act establishes a participatory governance structure through Town Vending Committees (TVCs).
- It mandates that street vendor representatives must constitute 40% of TVC members, with a sub-representation of 33% of women SVs.
- These committees are tasked with ensuring the inclusion of all existing vendors in vending zones.
- Additionally, the Act outlines mechanisms for addressing grievances and disputes, proposing the establishment of a Grievance Redressal Committee chaired by a civil judge or judicial magistrate.
- It provides that the States/ULBs conduct a survey to identify SVs at least once every five years.
Government’s Initiatives for Street Vendors
- SVANidhi Scheme:
- SVANidhi Scheme was launched to benefit over 50 lakh street vendors who had been vending in urban areas including those from surrounding peri-urban/rural areas.
- It also aims to promote digital transactions through cash-back incentives up to an amount of Rs. 1,200 per annum.
- National Association of Street Vendors of India:
- NASVI is an organization working for the protection of the livelihood rights of thousands of street vendors across the country.
- The main objective was to bring together the street vendor organizations in India so as to collectively struggle for macro-level changes.
