Cabinet okays bill to regulate street vendors

The union cabinet has cleared the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, which seeks to protect street vendors against harassment and regulate their activities in public areas.

The ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation is likely to introduce the bill in the current monsoon session of Parliament, after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave it the go-ahead.

Under the bill, anyone over 18 years can register as a street vendor by paying a one-time fee. Once registered with local authorities, vendors will be provided with identity cards, which will allow them to sell their products in designated vending zones.

The bill will also help the authorities to regulate hawking activities in public areas such as pavements and roads. It provides for setting up of vending zones for hawkers with minimal restrictions and without fear of being harassed, fined, or forced to pay bribes by municipal authorities.

The National Advisory Council under Congress and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had recently sought a central legislation, saying the model bill as prepared by the ministry limits the centre's responsibility.

"A central law will prevail over all state municipal laws to the extent that they are inconsistent with the law for street vendors. Hence the states will not be required to amend municipal and police laws," the NAC had said. The current bill incorporates this proposal.