Make Town Vending Committee functional in 8 wks: HC to govt

The Delhi High Court has directed the city government to make functional the Town Vending Committee so that they can conduct a survey of the existing street vendors and make a scheme for their relocation.
Justice Manmohan directed the Delhi government to undertake the exercise within eight weeks and permitted the street vendors to simultaneously file their representations before the panel during the same period.
"Upon the said representations being filed, the Committee is directed to decide the same expeditiously, preferably within six months," the court said.
The court passed the order while disposing of the plea of some street vendors who had sought directions to South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to not "obstruct or disturb the petitioners from carrying on trade from their respective squatting sites in accordance with order dated September 9, 2013, passed by the Supreme Court in Maharashtra Ekta Hawkers Union and another vs Municipal Corporation, Greater Mumbai".

The apex court, in its September 9, 2013 order, had held that "all existing street vendors/hawkers operating across the country shall be allowed to operate till the exercise of registration and creation of vending/hawking zones is completed....Once that exercise is completed, they shall be entitled to operate only in accordance with the orders/ directions of the concerned Town Vending Committee".
SDMC had contended before the High Court that the petitioner street vendors were not existing squatters and, therefore, not entitled to any protection.
The High Court observed that as per the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, no street vendor shall be evicted or relocated till the survey to be carried out by the Committee has been completed and certificate of vending has been issued to all street vendors.