Hundreds of street vendors thronged the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) headquarters on Tuesday, demanding that the spate of evictions across Bengaluru city be stopped immediately. They also demanded that a survey of street vendors be initiated at the earliest.
The street vendors, who are organized under the aegis of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), working through the Bengaluru Jilla Beedhi Vyapari Sanghatanegala Okkuta and the Karnataka Pragatipara Beedhi Vyaparigala Sangha, gathered at the BBMP and submitted individual forms – both to be covered under a fresh survey and for renewal of certificates of vending to those who already are in possession.
In September 2017, the BBMP had conducted a survey of street vendors as per the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and regulation) Act, 2014 and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihood Mission, where a mere 14,000 street vendors were issued with ID cards and certificates of vending. As per recent estimates, there are over 1.5 lakh street vendors in the city. The Act mandates that a survey be undertaken once every five years, and requisite documents be issued to the street vendors. At present, the ID cards and certificates of vending that were disbursed after the 2017 survey require to be renewed, as the validity of the same expired in February 2023.
The ‘Brand Bengaluru’ image being built for the metropolitan city, has meant indiscriminate eviction of street vendors across the urbanscape. Governments after governments have targeted street vendors in the name of “beautification”. Whether it is the neoliberal agenda of the government or the communal, street vendors are the first to be affected by these projects. “The right to street vending stems from the Constitution of India, following which the street vendors act was passed. There are several court judgments which protect the livelihood of vendors. But the same is being blatantly violated by the BBMP, police and private players like shopkeepers and residents – and are evicting the street vendors,” said S. Babu, the President of the Union.
“The onus is on the BBMP to conduct the survey and to renew the certificates of vending. Contrary to the same, they have been evicting street vendors across the city, and ruining livelihoods. The working class is dependent on the street vendors to buy essentials and for services which they access at affordable rates. Can everyone go to malls or place orders on apps?” asked PP Appanna, the secretary of the Union.
At the protest, the Special Commissioner (Welfare) addressed the street vendors and assured that all their concerns and demands will be met, and that a bilateral discussion with the BBMP Commissioner would be arranged in a weeks’ time.
