A section of street vendors in Chennai has expressed concern over the decision of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to proceed with the quinquennial survey of street vendors in the absence of the Town Vending Committees (TVCs).
The Corporation recently began the survey of street vendors in Adyar, Kodambakkam, Perungudi and Sholinganallur zones. While expressing reservations about the process, the vendors expressed hope that it will be done in a fair and thorough manner.
The Tamil Nadu Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Scheme and Rules formulated in 2015 lists the survey as one of the key functions of the TVCs, which were set up in each zone of the GCC. Along with officials, the committees had an elected group of street vendors as members.
According to street vendors, the committees acted as their first point of contact for any issues they faced. These committees functioning in GCC were dissolved recently, following the judgment of the Madras High Court in a case contending non-adherence of rules while forming the committees.
V. Mageshvaran, State general secretary of Tamil Nadu Street Vending Workers’ Federation, affiliated to the National Association of Street Vendors of India, alleged that the recent case was an example of how the government failed to make competent representations in courts in cases related to street vendors. Arguing that the absence of the TVCs in a way gave officials a free hand in all the decision making, he called for steps to reconstitute the TVCs at the earliest.
C. Thiruvettai, president of the Chennai Street Vendors Association, highlighted that the Grievance Redressal and Dispute Resolution Committee, mandated by the Act, has not been constituted. “Without such mechanisms in place, we feel that the survey may exclude legitimate vendors and include many others, owing to political pressure or other factors. The identification of vending and non-vending zones may not be adequately representative,” he said.
Both Mr. Thiruvettai and Mr. Mageshvaran said the GCC should stop eviction of vendors from anywhere in the city until the survey is completed and the TVCs are reconstituted.
Assuring that the civic body was committed to conducting the survey in a proper manner, a senior official from GCC said that even if the survey is completed, the certificate of vending to each vendor can be issued only by the TVCs. Highlighting that the surveys could not be done directly by members of the TVCs as it required more manpower, he said the survey exercise has been initiated to keep the paperwork ready so that the TVCs can scrutinise and approve them when they are formed. He said that the same will be done for identification of vending zones and no vending zones as well, he said. “We will finish the mapping and identify potential places. The committees can come and approve,” he said.
