Uttar Pradesh

• 03 May 2024

Implementing the Street Vendors Act 2014

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 1^st 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.