Encroachers back with a bang!
ARMED WITH THE NEW STREET VENDORS’ BILL, THE VENDORS ARE NOT READY TO GIVE IN TO CIVIC AUTHORITIES
LUCKNOW: Just three months after an aggressive demolition drive by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) in Aminabad, encroachments are back in the market area with a bang!
The entire exercise to keep Aminabad free of encroachments seems to have proved futile. Armed with the new street vendors’ bill by the parliament, the vendors are not ready to give in to the pressure of civic authorities. They say that the act gives them the right to earn their living on the road.
It was after the high court’s directives that LMC vacated encroachers from the lanes and roads of the market. But things are back to square one.
“Things have changed after the parliament passed the National Street Vendors Act. The law is in place and it calls for establishing vending and non-vending zones in the city. According to the act, street vendors must be given a place to earn their bread at the same time the new town vending committee is to be set up under the chairmanship of municipal commissioner so that things could be expedited,” said Vishal Bharadwaj, additional municipal commissioner.
However, he said this doesn’t mean that the LMC will not act against encroachments on government properties or roads.
Harsh Srivastava, CEO, Centre for Civil Society (working for rights of street vendors) while talking to Hindustan Times said, “The CCS welcomes the passage of the Street Vendors’ Bill by the Rajya Sabha. This Bill has been amended to make it more representative of the interests of street vendors. However, the state governments and municipal corporations will have to frame and notify rules which do not disturb the common man and at the same time protect the rights of the street vendors.”
Gokul Prasad, leader of street vendors in Aminabad, said: “The street vendors have agreed to remain inside the yellow line created by the administration. We will never object to action against the vendors violating this line.”