Authorities should ensure that there are no violations:HC

The Madras High Court has said it was the personal responsibility of authorities(joint commissioner of police (traffic) South Zone and assistant commissioner Zone 9, Myalpore) to ensure that "there are no violations for vending/hawking" on Luz Church Street, and action is taken on day-to-day basis to ensure that pedestrians are not inconvenienced and chaos is not created.
A PIL had sought a direction to the Chennai Corporation to remove hawkers, food vendors and encroachers in Luz Church road.
When it came up recently, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R.Mahadevan said "We are conscious of the fact that the one time clearance drive, as undertaken by the authorities, cannot solve this problem, as persons who are habituated to remain in that area will not easily relent. This is apparent from the past experience of endeavouring to get the pedestrians' area cleared of obstructions."

The bench also observed that the Chennai Corporation had filed an affidavit on raids conducted in the area.
The notification issued by the government dated October 5, 2016 had permitted setting up of 15 Town Vending Committees with one each at zonal level in greater Chennai as per rules under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act. Appointments had been made to the Town Vending Committees. Thus, the mechanism has been put in force, the bench added.
According to the affidavit, 154 hawkers, who were enumerated and tokens and identity cards issued, would be entitled for allotment at an alternate place.

"Suffice to say that as per the decision of the hawking committee, the shifting of hawkers has to take place and in continuing location, there is no right to hawk once an alternate place is made available," the bench said.
However, the bench made it clear that cooking and setting kitchens on the pavements could not be allowed under any circumstance.