Date:17/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/02/17/stories/2006021719570300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Hawkers oppose MCH move

Staff Reporter

Bid to restrict movement of street vendors in city draws flak

ON COLLISION COURSE: Vendors on the thoroughfare opposite the Secunderabad Railway Station. -Photo: D. Gopalakrishnan

HYDERABAD : The Bhagyanagar Hawkers' Union has come out in defiance of the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad's efforts to formulate vending areas and restrict movement of street vendors in the city.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, the union's office-bearers along with National Hawkers' Federation general secretary Saktiman Ghosh said the MCH move, spurred by a High Court directive, was in conflict with the national policy on urban street vendors formulated by the Union Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation in February 2004.

Colour zones opposed

Mr. Ghosh, opposing the proposed colour zones for vendors in the city, said though the MCH's bid to demarcate vending zones was part of the national policy, there was no effort to involve or form a Town Vending Committee as stipulated by the Ministry.

The committee, Mr. Ghosh said, had to involve municipal authorities, traffic and local police, public land owning authorities, representatives from associations of street vendors, market/trader/resident welfare associations and representatives of nationalised or commercial banks. Apart from official representatives, none of the other stipulated representatives were part of MCH's decision making, he alleged.

Former member of the Centre's Task Force on Street Vendors A.G. Kandlikar said the national policy also had called for issuing of licences to street vendors, so as to give them a `legal status'.

However, this aspect, along with registration of vendors, issues related to relocation and rehabilitation of the same and access to credit/insurance/social security for vendors were being overlooked by MCH.

Agitation plan

The union would formulate its agitation plans once the deadline of March 6 given to MCH by the High Court to set right the issue, was over, they added.

MCH, earlier this month, had announced constitution of City Vending Committees to formulate vending areas in all-important locations apart from dividing areas into three colour zones.

Green zones, accordingly, would allow vendors without restrictions while Amber would indicate restricted area where vending would be permitted on specific days or time.

Red areas would be out of bounds for vendors.