Street vendors increasing in Solan, registering them fraught with problems

The number of street vendors is increasing in Solan city, with every nook and corner being occupied by them to sell vegetables, tea, snacks and other things. As there is no deterrence for them to setup makeshift kiosks on the roads, their number is steadily rising in the city.

The local Municipal Corporation has registered 139 street vendors, with 55 of them being allotted booths in the vendor market at Saproon. In addition to this, around 360 have been given loans for their economic uplift.

While the 139 vendors comprise those who have been operating in Solan since decades, the lion’s share of 360 vendors comprises the migrants.

In April, the district administration had demolished more than 60 encroachments of vendors at Saproon and other places in the city following High Court orders. These vendors had setup shops at places like Saproon, where they were operating unhindered since decades.

“In a bid to uplift the street vendors economically, they have been brought under the ambit of the PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), a special micro-credit facility for the street vendors that provides free collateral working capital loans of up to Rs 10,000,” said Ekta Kapta, Solan MC Commissioner.

The civic body staff was, however, facing problems in geo-tagging these vendors, besides linking their mobile numbers to Aadhaar  as per the requirements of the central scheme.

“As many as 20 per cent vendors were yet to be geo-tagged as they were either not traceable or lacked proper Aadhaar cards. The staff faced several problems in geo-tagging these vendors and it was after much effort spread across five months that we could complete the formalities for 80 per cent vendors,” said a civic body official.

Meanwhile, local traders have demanded proper registration of the vendors. Mukesh Gupta, former president Solan Beopar Mandal, said all vendors should be registered and their Aadhaar card copies should be taken by the local police station for verification of their permanent addresses.

The civic bodies are supposed to regulate the urban street vendors under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, and safeguard their livelihood rights.

Mall Road was declared a ‘no vending zone’ in December, 2015, by the District Magistrate. Despite this, one can see a sizeable stretch of the road being occupied by the vendors. The situation is appalling on Sundays, when the number of vendors increases manifold as the shops remain closed and they occupy a sizeable place on the road.