My remarks on vendors given political colour: Vikramaditya Singh
Reiterating that he was a committed Congress worker, PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh today said that his statement on registration and verification of street vendors was given a political and communal colour by connecting to the policy of Uttar Pradesh.
“Whatever I had said, it was as per the law and the Centre’s 2014 Act on street vending. The bye-laws of the Shimla Municipal Corporation Act also provide for registration and certification of street vendors,” he said here after returning from New Delhi where he met top leaders of the Congress and explained his stand on the issue.
The minister said that any person, regardless of his religion and the place he belongs to, can come to the state to earn his livelihood. “We will welcome all but the verification of each and every vendor will be done as per the law. And it’s for maintaining the internal security of the state,” he added.
“The all-party committee formed by the Speaker will take a look at all issues related to street vendors and would decide if the already existing street vendors Act needs to be amended further,” the minister said.
The minister claimed that he was not summoned to Delhi by the party high command in the wake of his comments that kicked up the storm. “As opposed to reports by some sections of the media that I was summoned to Delhi by the party high command, my Delhi visit was scheduled. And whenever I am in Delhi, I always make it a point to meet the top leaders to discuss the issues of the state,” he said.
“Besides telling the party high command that the party line was paramount for us, I also told them that raising issues of the state and protecting its interests are also my responsibilities,” he said.
When told that Sanjay Awasthy, working president of the HPCC, had brushed aside his comments on street vendors as personal opinion and not that of the government, Vikramaditya said that he was answerable only to the party high command, the Chief Minister and the HPCC president.
