Delhi HC Seeks Delhi Govt's Response On Implementation Of Street Vendors Act

BACKGROUND

• The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act is an Act passed by the then Union Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Kumari Selja that was passed in 2014.
• The Act was passed with an intention to provide social security and livelihood rights to street vendors and regulate them in street areas.
• Several writ petitions were filed before the Delhi High Court that dealt with poor implementation of the Act by the Delhi Government even after years of its passing.

OBSERVATIONS MADE BY THE COURT

• The Court expressed its anguish over the non-functioning of Town Vending Committees and stated that the result of this has led to harassment of genuine hawkers and street vendors, who have been conferred rights under the Act.
• The Court also noticed that the Act was passed in 2014 and even after 7 years, the TVCs have not functioned as mentioned under the Act.
• The Court observed that New Delhi Municipal Council stated that the Government nominated some Expert Agencies to assist the TVCs but it did not mention under which provisions the same was done.

ORDER

• The Court ordered the Government of Delhi to file a response explaining its position in regards to the implementation of the Street Vendors Act.
• The Court also ordered the Government to disclose how the expert agencies were appointed, who were these expert agencies, and under what procedure they were selected.

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