SC asks Delhi govt to issue notification constituting town vending committee

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi government to come out with a notification within a week to set up town vending committees (TVC) in accordance with the 2014 Street Vendors Act.

A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta pulled up the Delhi government and asked why no TVC has been constituted as per the rules even after the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 came into force four years ago.

"Do it within a week. The Act is of 2014. Four years down the line, you have done nothing. For four years, you have not implemented the Act," the bench told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, appearing for the Delhi government.

The counsel, appearing for three municipal corporations in Delhi, told the bench that elections for 26 TVCs had taken place on July 15 but the notification constituting the committees has not been issued by the Delhi government as per the rules.

The ASG initially sought two weeks time from the court to do the needful but the bench said it has to be done within a week.

"We direct that the notification in terms of the rules should be issued by the Delhi government within a week from today," the bench said and listed the matter for September 12 for compliance.

The bench also told a Delhi government official, who was present in the court, to issue the notification in this regard.

When the official said the file would go through the Lieutenant Governor (LG), the bench said "You tell the LG that it has to be done".

During the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for street vendors, told the bench that the vendors who had applied under the 2007 scheme were being evicted by the authorities, which should be stopped immediately.

The bench said its concern was that TVCs should be in place and the government has to come out with the notification in this regard.

The issue of encroachment had also cropped in the Delhi sealing matter in which the apex court is dealing with the issue of validity of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006 and subsequent legislations which protect unauthorised constructions from being sealed.