Street vendors mushroom in Solan, traders worried

The number of street vendors has risen sharply in Solan city. They can be seen in every nook and corner of the state occupied by them to sell vegetables, tea, snacks, household wares, etc.

The local municipal corporation has registered 139 street vendors with 55 of them being allotted booths in the vendor market in Saproon. Besides, around 360 street vendors, most of them migrants, have been given loans for their economic uplift.

Following the High Court orders, the district administration had demolished more than 60 encroachments by these vendors at Saproon and other places in the city in April.

“To improve the economic condition of street vendors, they have been brought under the ambit of the Pradhan Mantri SVAnidhi, a special micro-credit facility of the Central Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Aimed at their economic uplift, it provides collateral free working capital loans up to Rs 10,000,” says Ekta Kapta, Solan MC Commissioner.

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

“As many as 20 per cent street vendors are yet to be geo-tagged as they are either not traceable or lacked proper documentation. The staff faced several problems in geo-tagging them and it was after much effort that we could complete the formalities for 80 per cent vendors,” said a civic body employee.

Local traders have demanded their proper registration. Mukesh Gupta, former president of the Solan Beopar Mandal, says that 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.

The Mall Road was declared a no-vending zone in December 2015 by the District Magistrate and no kiosks are permitted to operate. Despite this, a sizable stretch of the road is occupied by these vendors. The situation is particularly appalling on Sundays as their number increases manifold as the shops remain closed and vendors occupy the road.